Fall From Power
by Lordius Dannius
Summary: After the events of Sonic Forces, nobody knew where Infinite went. That was because without the Phantom Ruby, he was nothing. He was just another face in the crowd, so what happens when he is mistaken for a wounded Resistance soldier and taken into the city? He yearns for revenge, but someone unexpected reaches out to him.
1. After the Showdown

**_Fall From Power_**

 **~After the Showdown~**

Darkness.

Something wasn't right.

The doctor. Where was the doctor?

No… that wasn't his concern.

 _Where was the ruby?_

His gloved hand felt his chest.

It wasn't there.

He felt his eyes widen. Without the ruby, he was…

No. Not weak. He could _never_ be weak.

Infinite climbed up to his feet, his knees shaking under his own weight. Now the darkness was gone and he could see. Perfectly. No red tint. No blocked eye.

His mask was gone.

What was this? Why was his mask missing? Why was the ruby gone?

He looked up, seeing that he was by the base of the fortress he had been defending in the battle.

Speaking of the battle, it was awfully silent…

…No.

 _No._

There was no way the battle was over. How could it be? The world was theirs. They had the Phantom Ruby. Was the doctor stupid enough to lose even with its power?

The jackal punched the ground, unable to contain a yell of rage. _What an idiot._ Infinite had been able to defeat Sonic without difficulty when he was the ruby's host, and even when Sonic improved, he was still able to defeat him and his annoying friend. He only lost when the two worked together to stop him after he had exhausted himself. How could the doctor waste his only chance at winning the war for good?

It didn't matter where the doctor was. He didn't care. It was his fault that they lost the war. He shouldn't have called Infinite back and taken the ruby from him. This was all his fault, and it was right for him to suffer.

The real question was: where was Infinite to go from here? He couldn't try taking over the world on his own. Not without the ruby. And he couldn't go back to his old life. Shadow had ruined his old life by wiping out his squad. His… friends.

It had been a long time since Infinite had felt what life was like without the power of the ruby. He couldn't do anything. He couldn't fly and he couldn't alter reality. He knew that he once did quite well without such powers, but right now it just felt so wrong. Walking felt unnatural to him. He should be floating and gliding through the air with ease.

In fact, walking seemed to tire him. Perhaps he was already tired from the previous fighting, or the ruby itself had drained him of energy, but even so he felt pathetic. Such a simple task should not have made him weary, but it did. He didn't even know how long he had been walking for, but he did see that he was on the outskirts of the city. And there was where he fell to his knees.

Darkness.

 _"This one doesn't seem to be physically wounded."_

 _"He wasn't responding to anything when he was brought into the city. He looked dead."_

 _"Well, he's definitely breathing."_

Infinite's eyes cracked open as he listened in to everything around him. He was in a new location. Immediately his eyes went wide and he jumped out of a bed.

A bed?

He was in some kind of temporary hospital. Why?

"See?" said one cat medic. "I told you he wasn't dead."

"Huh," the dog medic reacted.

"Where am I?!" Infinite demanded, not dropping his guard as he raised his fists.

"Easy," eased the cat medic. "You're in a hospital. You were found unconscious outside the city."

"I don't need anyone looking after me," Infinite growled. "I look after myself."

Who did these people think they were? They had no right to keep him here. He pushed past the two medics and marched through the room's exit.

"Oh, come on, I only get half-pay when bringing back someone who isn't on the missing list?" came the voice of a female, prompting Infinite to stop walking as his ears twitched. He turned his head, only to see a brownish-coloured coyote with dark red hair tied behind her head, wearing dark green shorts, a dark purple vest and black boots along with dark brown gloves. She seemed to be talking with a soldier – a resistance soldier.

"We are trying to rescue survivors from this city and from the battle," the soldier explained. "For all I know, the guy you brought back is an acquaintance of yours pretending to be wounded. It's difficult to trust bounty hunters like you."

"He was unconscious right outside the city!" the coyote huffed, putting her hands on her hips. "He's probably not reported as missing because he's some civilian with no family left!"

"Rules are rules, Tawny," the soldier said to her.

"Fine!" the coyote, Tawny, snapped. "Next time I see anyone who ain't on the list, I'll leave them for your soldiers to deal with." And with that said, she started stomping away.

Infinite narrowed his eyes. She was the one who brought him here. He was outside the city and he most definitely was not on anyone's missing list, so he decided to walk after the coyote until she was out of public sight, then making a move to grab her and pin her to a wall.

"It was you!" he growled. "Why did you bring me here, you meddlesome dog?"

"Some "thank you"," Tawny murmured, oddly calm for someone being threatened.

"You had no right to bring me here," Infinite hissed through clenched teeth. "This has been a waste of my time!"

"So, you wanted to spend that time sleeping on the ground?" Tawny asked. "Wow, no wonder nobody misses you."

Her attitude was annoying. How _dare_ she speak to him like that. He had every right to kill her to remind everyone that he was still a threat, so he raised a fist. Unfortunately, he had already forgotten about his lack of the Phantom Ruby, so to return to his more physical ways of fighting was difficult, and his hesitation led to Tawny kicking him back with ease, watching as he fell to the ground.

"Rude," she grumbled. "What's your problem? Have you been asleep for the whole war or something?"

"War…" Infinite snarled, pushing himself back up to his feet as he stood with his head lowered. "I was a part of this war. I have fought in it from the very beginning!"

"Yet nobody seems to know who you are," Tawny shrugged.

That was a point. Nobody knew who he was.

Nobody knew he was Infinite, the masked monster.

This could be used to his advantage.

"…No," he agreed, calming himself down. "My squad was completely annihilated."

"Wait, really?" Tawny asked him, one of her ears twitching. "Which squad were you part of?"

"Jackal squad," Infinite answered. Nobody in the Resistance knew of the mercenary group, and many of the Resistance squads were named after animals, so by dropping the name of his former squad, he was thus assuring himself that he could maintain a consistent story while keeping undercover.

"Huh," Tawny blinked. "Well, that definitely explains why you weren't on the missing list. People probably thought you were dead along with your squad."

"Yes," Infinite agreed, this time in a quieter tone. Even he believed that he died along with his squad – his old self, that is.

"Well, where're you gonna go, now?" Tawny pestered. "You got a home?"

Shoot.

"…No," he answered. "I've never been part of a family." He said those words in a way which implied that he was proud to be independent. He never needed a family to support him, so those who had the luxury were clearly just weak.

"Aw," Tawny reacted, almost sounding sad but maintaining what seemed to be her signature cocky personality. "Well, family isn't my thing, either. Been by myself for a good few years now, so you're not the only one."

"Hmph," Infinite huffed, then finally starting to walk.

"Hey, where are you going?" Tawny asked, walking after him. "Didn't you just say you had no place to go?"

"I'll find a place," Infinite replied swiftly as he continued to walk.

"And do what? Nothing?" Tawny questioned. "For a former soldier, you don't seem so determined to go looking for other allies and civilians who may be trapped or wounded."

Okay, perhaps acting so unsympathetic towards the Resistance was a bad idea if he wanted to maintain an unsuspicious cover, so he stopped walking and looked towards Tawny at last.

"You search for survivors, don't you?" he recalled. Tawny nodded her head proudly.

"Yup," she grinned. "I do any job with good pay, so long as the job requires me to look for something."

"A bounty hunter," Infinite recalled hearing the soldier say to her. "So then, where do your loyalties lie?"

"Nowhere," Tawny smirked. "Probably not the best thing for you to hear, but it's true. I'll work for whoever pays handsomely, but I suppose you can be assured that I won't turn on you so long as there are survivors to be found."

"I see," Infinite muttered. She sounded so proud of herself, like she was the only one who wasn't entirely good, but she had no idea who was facing her right now.

"So then, are you gonna look for survivors with me?" Tawny asked with a grin, having known where Infinite's questioning was going.

"I suppose," Infinite answered with some clear reluctance in his voice. He didn't want to do that, but I would be better than rebuilding the city and clearing up the destruction he caused.

"Cool!" Tawny smiled, then turning to walk away, expecting Infinite to follow. The jackal followed just behind her before the coyote spoke up again. "Oh! I never told you my name. I'm Tawny, and you are?"

A name. Think of a name. Don't say the name which will turn you into bounty.

"Zero," Infinite answered.

"Alright, Zero, let's go and look for some survivors!" Tawny responded happily, then breaking into a sprint. Infinite grit his teeth with frustration, running after her.

 **~End of Chapter~**


	2. Consequences of War

**~Consequences of War~**

Searching for enemy soldiers and weak civilians. How could things get any worse? Maintaining his cover was a priority, of course, but he'd much rather be on his own. It was difficult for him to keep a façade up, and it was even harder to even act like he cared about the wounded. While his current actions could keep his cover up, his attitude could easily be his downfall.

"How long do you plan to keep searching for those who are missing?" the jackal decided to question as he trailed behind Tawny.

"Until that whole missing list has no more names on it," the coyote responded with a confident grin.

"What about those who were killed and thrown into the sea?" Infinite pressed. "Or those who have no bodies left?" Tawny just shrugged her shoulders in response.

"I'll give up when the city has been totally reconstructed, then," she said. "Although, I may give up even earlier if a better job comes along."

"Then let's hope for the latter," Infinite growled. Tawny glanced back at him and raised a brow.

"Why would you say that?" she asked, though she didn't sound at all offended, merely curious. "Aren't you worried about your allies and the people you served to protect?"

Hold it in. Just hold in the anger and hatred trying to break out.

"Experiences change how one feels towards the living," he chose to say somewhat carefully. "After a while, life seems dull. The lives of the weak seem more like a burden than something to protect, so I see no point in helping them when they cannot even help themselves."

"Wow, you sound like a real old veteran," Tawny muttered, mostly to herself but loud enough for Infinite to hear. "What a shame; you don't even seem to be that old, either."

Old? Seriously? Could this coyote say anything else to anger him more?

"There!" the coyote suddenly called out, running ahead as fast as she could. Infinite stopped walking and stood with his arms folded, choosing to instead observe from a distance rather than help the girl in rescuing what must have been a trapped civilian.

Tawny ran into the ruins of a house, which had totally lost its front, and began digging at the large pile of bricks to help a trapped cat. It looked as if the cat had her legs trapped, and no doubt they were even broken. Still, Tawny was able to pull her free, picking the cat up and letting her rest upon the coyote's shoulders.

"Thanks, miss…" the cat thanked tiredly. "I didn't think any rescuers would come down this street…"

"No problem," Tawny grinned, then smirking back at Infinite. "What's the matter, grumpy? Annoyed that you didn't find one first with your bad eyesight?"

Was that a challenge _and_ an insult? That was it.

"I can see clearer than you could ever dream of," he shot back, managing to remain calm.

"Prove it," Tawny challenged.

Oh, he was going to.

"Hmph," he grunted. "I'll make your experience as a bounty hunter look like nothing but basic training." He walked on ahead as Tawny stood still and watched him, confident that she would see him struggle to find someone, but to her sudden surprise, she watched Infinite jump up onto the roof of a home which had not been completely wrecked.

Infinite had a heightened sense of smell. That was a gift he had always had, with him being a jackal. He could smell a survivor inside the building, so swung in through the top window and, within seconds, jumped back out and landed on his two feet, with an unconscious bird civilian in his arms.

The jackal didn't show any visible signs of smugness, but deep down he could definitely feel it as he walked by Tawny and the cat. "Let's return these two to that hospital," he instructed, deliberately not attempting to verbally correct Tawny since his actions had just proved that he was better than her. "Hopefully this will take two more names off that list." The sooner that was done, the better.

Tawny followed Infinite back to the hospital, where the two civilians were dropped off. Thankfully both individuals were classed as missing, allowing them to be reunited with friends and family who worried about them. Infinite had refused payment and instead allowed Tawny to take the money for the bird he found, and while that seemed like a generous act, it was really because he had no need for money.

"Thanks for giving up your payment, Zero," Tawny thanked with a cheeky grin on her face as she admired her handful of extra cash while she walked beside the jackal.

"I told you, I have no need for money," Infinite repeated, once again wandering down a lone street.

"If you say so," Tawny grinned, placing the money in the pocket of her shorts. "Right then, let's look for more civilians before the sun sets!"

Already it was becoming a dull task. Was he supposed to do this for more than a week? He was probably going to die from boredom.

The pair walked, this time beside each other (although there was a large gap between them), and while keeping their eyes peeled, Tawny decided to speak up.

"So, Zero, what did you get up to before the war broke out?" she queried. Another question. Great.

"I don't see why that's of any interest to you," he replied irritably. Tawny just chuckled.

"So secretive," she taunted. "I'm just trying to get to know you, that's all."

"Well, stop," Infinite demanded quietly. He didn't want this coyote to get to know him, and he certainly didn't want to get to know her. Soon enough he'd be back to full power somehow, and the destruction would start again. He would probably kill Tawny and everyone he was currently rescuing, and he wouldn't care at all.

"Alright, alright, you've obviously had some rough past which you don't wanna share," Tawny assumed, with such an assumption making Infinite shoot a glare at her as he continued to walk. The coyote just rubbed her chin in thought before she then clicked her fingers, side-stepping closer to the white-haired jackal. "Do you like taking long, romantic walks on the beach?"

That was a question he had heard before.

 _Sonic._

Infinite felt his fists clench tightly as he grit his teeth. "No, I do not," he answered, doing everything he could to contain his anger.

"Oh, come on!" Tawny pouted. "Are you telling me that you wouldn't take your girlfriend by the hand and stroll along the soft sand as the sun sets?"

"I don't even have a…" Infinite immediately cut himself off. Why was this conversation even happening? "This discussion is not happening."

"Don't have a girlfriend?" Tawny finished for him. "What a surprise, the guy who hates everything doesn't have a girlfriend."

Oh, how close he was to throwing her off one of the bridges…

Tawny suddenly stopped walking, causing Infinite to do the same. He narrowed his eyes at her, expecting her to explain why she had stopped, but before he could even say a word, she put a dismissive finger to his lips and kept her eyes locked on ahead. "…There!" she suddenly exclaimed, sprinting ahead. Now what was she up to?

Infinite ran after the bounty hunter, seeing that she was approaching one of the broken bridges which would normally be used for cars entering and leaving the city. Definitely destruction caused by one of the mass-produced Death Egg robots.

Near the edge of the broken bridge was a car, with the two wheels on the right both over the edge itself, meaning that the vehicle was practically holding on for its non-existent life.

Tawny was approaching the car, but cautiously. "Can you hear me in there?" she called out. At first there was no answer, but a very faint plea for help soon followed.

"Y-Yes!" wept the voice of what sounded like a child. "The car's gonna fall!"

From where he was observing, Infinite could see the obvious problem here. If an adult was stuck in that car, they would most likely choose to get out before the car fell, but this child was too afraid.

"No, it's not," Tawny called back calmly. It seemed like this wasn't the first time she had rescued a panicked child, since she was handling the situation correctly. "Listen, kid, are you in the front or back of the car?"

"Back!" the kid replied through his tears.

"Alright, that's good," Tawny continued. "I'm going to open the back door, okay? As soon as it opens, jump up and grab my hand. I'll pull you out in no time."

Tawny approached the car and reached for the door, but it slipped even further. The child cried out in fear.

"It's falling!" he howled.

"It's okay!" Tawny comforted, but now she sounded uncertain. "Just stay still until I open the door, then jump up and take my hand."

This wasn't going to go well. Infinite could see it.

Tawny then held the door's handle, taking in a deep breath before pulling the door open. A young jackal was the one inside the car.

The coyote reached her hand down, but the car slipped completely, causing her to fall onto her front.

She didn't grab his hand.

"No!" Tawny exclaimed helplessly. This sort of response showed that, despite doing the job for the money, she did indeed care for those she was saving, and she definitely seemed to have a soft spot for children.

Children were weak, but they were allowed to be. Strength came with age.

A child's life was worth saving.

Infinite sprinted along the bridge upon seeing the scene, leaping over the edge and landing on the falling car. He reached his hand in through the door which had been opened, grabbing the jackal child and pulling him out. Then, as the car continued to fall, he put all of his strength into his legs so that he could jump back up to the platform. This was something he was good at even before he was improved by the Phantom Ruby.

Only, he wasn't that good at it anymore, and he still thought that he could just fly back up there with the ruby's power.

He wasn't going to make it.

Knowing this, Infinite instinctively threw the child upwards so that he could land onto the bridge, while he began to fall back down after failing to grab onto the ledge.

The scar-faced jackal stared at the distant water below. Hitting that would kill him for sure. Perhaps he could land back on the car and slow his descent, and then find a way back up somehow.

His falling stopped suddenly.

Infinite continued to stare into the water below, watching as the car crashed into the dark water, before he finally lifted his head to look up at what had stopped him from falling.

Tawny was dangling by her fingers, holding Infinite by his wrist.

She had caught him.

The coyote heaved herself back up, pulling Infinite with her, then flopping onto her front and panting heavily. To support both her own weight and Infinite's using only one hand was a struggle.

At first, he was a bit surprised, to be saved by someone else, but then her growled and got up to his feet. He said nothing to thank or belittle Tawny, telling himself that his own weakness caused this outcome, along with Tawny's.

Tawny had expected Infinite to react in such a way, deciding to ignore him and instead focus on the kid. "Are you alright?" she asked him. The jackal child was just curled up, trembling, but he lifted his head and managed to nod. Tawny then grinned at him. "Good! That's what I like to hear. Do you have a name?" Again, the young jackal nodded.

"Ace…" he answered, his voice barely there.

"Well then, Ace, let's get you somewhere safe," Tawny then said, lifting the child up. "Your parents must be worried about you."

That was when Ace started to sob. Tawny's smile faded.

"What's wrong…?" she asked softly, although she could already guess the answer.

"Mom fell…" was all Ace could say. That definitely explained a lot. Ace must have been in the car with his mother when the bridge was destroyed, and together they tried to escape when rescue didn't come, only for his mother to fall into the darkness below. That was why he was too afraid to leave the car.

"His name's not on the list," Infinite then said, not facing the duo. Tawny stared at him strangely.

"How do you know?" she questioned. "You can't have remembered the entire list."

"You'd be surprised at how good my memory is," Infinite countered, then turning to look back at her and Ace. "There was no jackal named Ace on that list. The child is clearly an orphan."

"Damn," Tawny cursed. At least she'd still get paid half for his rescue, and there was no way she was going to let a child die, but full pay would have been nice. That and it was also a shame that the child had nobody.

"Let's take him back to that hospital," Infinite commanded, beginning to walk ahead. Tawny followed, then deciding to catch up and walk by his side while carrying Ace in her arms.

"You know, you could've died saving him," she pointed out. "You risked your life to save this little kid. I'm guessing jackals are your soft spot, huh?"

"I was confident I could make the jump," Infinite excused." If I had believed the risk was greater, I would have let him fall."

"Nah, that's not true," Tawny grinned, holding Ace with one arm while using the other to punch Infinite in the shoulder. The action made Infinite tense up and frown even more as the coyote laughed. "You saved him because you're a big softy at heart!"

"I'm not," Infinite assured flatly.

Tawny then placed Ace on her shoulders, smiling proudly. "I guess this means I'm winning," she decided. "You might've rescued him, but I still found him."

"I don't understand how you found him before I could even pick up on his scent," Infinite admitted with slight frustration. Was his sense of smell worse than he thought it was without the ruby?

Tawny simply chuckled. "You're not the only one with a good sense of smell," she announced.

"Of course, it must be a canine trait," Infinite murmured to himself as if the answer were obvious. Still, he was furious that he had been proven somewhat inferior, but at the same time he could still hold his head high. After all, he had saved Ace's life when Tawny had failed to do so.

The pair arrived back at the hospital once again, with Ace now on the ground. He seemed barely able to stand, since he had been curled up in that car for so long.

"Here's another one, chief," Tawny said. "It was a close one, too; he almost fell off one of the collapsed car bridges!"

"Sounds like he was very lucky," the soldier responded. "He probably wouldn't be alive if you two hadn't have found him."

Infinite just folded his arms and looked away, tuning out the conversation. It was just the typical talk between Tawny and the soldier, but what caught his attention suddenly was the feeling of something grabbing him tightly by the waist. His ears perked up and he lifted his arms, staring down at what he thought was a threat, until seeing that Ace was… hugging him.

"Thank you for saving me," the child sniffled, his face buried into Infinite's black fur. Infinite stared with wide eyes, having no idea how to react. He had never been hugged before, mainly because he was unhuggable. It was insulting to now be seen as some giant teddy bear.

"Aw, he likes you!" Tawny laughed. "It looks like you aren't so dislikeable, after all."

Infinite glanced at her in a way which silently told her to 'shut up', and he then awkwardly ruffled the white tuft of hair on Ace's head. "Right," he responded weirdly, then practically prying Ace away from him. Ace didn't seem bothered about being pushed away, instead smiling up at Infinite. He looked so happy, and that just made Infinite uncomfortable. Children would usually be crying and screaming at the sight of him. This was just too weird.

"I'll take him inside," the soldier then stated. "When the city has been restored, we'll see if we can find any of the kid's other relatives. If not, we'll have to find him a new, safe home." Having said that, the soldier led Ace inside, with Ace waving at the two canines. Tawny waved back with a smile on her face, but Infinite didn't.

Tawny then saw that the sun was setting. "Guess it's time to call it a day," she said."

"Good," Infinite reacted, instantly walking away from the temporary hospital.

"Where are you going?" the coyote asked, choosing to walk after him.

"I'm going to find somewhere to rest," Infinite answered. Saying that almost made him cringe. When he had the ruby, he never needed to rest.

"You do that," Tawny replied. "I've already got my own place set up nearby. I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then, Zero."

With nothing left to be said, Tawny sprinted away, parkouring her way up ruined buildings to get to wherever she was staying. Infinite just rolled his eyes, continuing to walk until he found an abandoned house which didn't seem too damaged. He decided to enter the building, looking for whichever bedroom had the nicest bed. He may have never needed rest when he had the Phantom Ruby, but in all honesty, a cosy bed was just unbeatable.

The jackal found a double-bed in one room upstairs, choosing to flop onto his front the moment he was by it. The mattress was so soft and springy. It had been years since he had felt anything so comfortable. Perhaps being tired wasn't going to be so bad after all, if he was going to get a good night's sleep.

 **~End of Chapter~**


	3. Egg Hunt

**~Egg Hunt~**

The night had indeed been pleasant. It was not like being unconscious at all; being a sleep was comfortable and the rest even allowed Infinite to experience dreams.

Well, until he was awoken, of course.

"Psst!" whispered an already-familiar voice. "Hey! Zero!"

Why? Why was _it_ back?

Infinite had been sleeping with his face buried in the pillow, so he had to lift it in order to open his eyes and adjust to the real world. Turning his head, he spotted Tawny sitting on the window's ledge.

Again, why was she back? He wanted to be left alone.

"Wake up, sleepy-head!" Tawny smiled when seeing that he was waking up. "I've got good news!"

What news could possibly be good? Hopefully whatever it was involved no longer searching for survivors.

The coyote slipped into the room while Infinite was in the process of waking up, and with a large smile she said: "I've just found out that Doctor Eggman has got a huge bounty on his head."

The doctor. Tawny was offering to track down the doctor.

Hearing that news definitely woke Infinite up, and he stared at the bounty hunter with wide eyes. "The doctor?" he queried, as if wanting her to clarify that she was talking about _the_ Doctor Eggman.

"Duh!" Tawny laughed. "Who else is called 'Eggman' on this planet? Nobody!"

"Right," Infinite growled lowly, not enjoying her mocking laughter. "Well then, if you are so good at tracking down your targets, then you _must_ know where he is hiding." There was a definite hint of sarcasm in his voice as he spoke.

"Not yet," Tawny admitted, "but I'll find him in no time!"

"And how can you be sure of that?" Infinite interrogated, folding his arms as his tail swished from side to side. He secretly hoped that the coyote did know of a way to track down the man, for that would mean he could start building himself back up again. He could once again remind these people that they are not worthy of living peaceful and happy lives.

"I've worked with him before," Tawny answered.

Now, that was a little unexpected.

Then again, Tawny was a bounty hunter. She had already said it before: her loyalties lied nowhere. If Eggman was paying her more than anyone else, then of course she was going to work for him, but she hadn't been hired at all during the world's takeover. Perhaps he had lost interest in using her for jobs, or perhaps she refused to see her world waste away.

"Elaborate," Infinite found himself commanding. This was his opportunity to find out more about her past. He could find out what her weaknesses were and how to exploit them. He could find out about her morals. But, the most important thing of all, he could find out more about the doctor. Maybe if Tawny told him about her tracking methods, then he could use those methods himself to find the man even sooner. He just wanted to be out of this mess as soon as possible.

"Oh, y'know, he just hired me for a few little jobs," Tawny explained nonchalantly. "He doesn't just have robots working for him. A few times he may have tricked the odd guy into doing his work, but it's more likely that any non-robotic worker of his is actually being paid."

That was not difficult to believe. After all, Eggman did hire Jackal Squad to defend his facility instead of using an army of his own robots.

"I guess I last worked for him about two years ago," Tawny estimated. "I just used to gather resources and round up animals. And, oh man, the rivalry I had with Fang the Sniper back in the day was insane, but he got the more rewarding jobs." The coyote shrugged her shoulders. "I stopped working for him cos he started giving me jobs with less pay, and others got more. I officially became his enemy just before the war broke out, actually. He said he'd got some mercenaries or something who were worth paying, while I clearly wasn't worth it." Tawny then laughed quietly yet smugly. "Joke's on him now, though. I'll be the one turning him in for a good price."

Well, the was certainly amusing to learn. It was his fault that Tawny, and perhaps other non-robotic henchmen, was cast aside by the doctor. His squad had demanded such a high price that the doctor couldn't pay them if he was still paying Tawny. It almost made him smile to himself. Too bad Tawny would never be allowed to know of that.

"So, get your shoes on and let's get going!" Tawny chirped, clapping her hands together to snap Infinite out of his thoughtful trance. She leapt out of the window, and Infinite spent a good few seconds wondering if he should even keep following this girl, but he reminded himself that this was the best way for him to find the doctor. Then, once the two had reunited, the world could become theirs again. So, Infinite jumped out of the window once his shoes and gloves were on and proceeded to walk with the coyote girl.

"How do you plan to track down the doctor?" the jackal questioned as the pair strolled together.

"Well, it's always best to find where he was last seen," Tawny answered, putting her arm around Infinite and pulling him close while using her other arm to point towards the distant fortress. "See that? That's where the last major battle took place. He was fighting against the Resistance with some giant robot. Were you there?"

No. No he was not. But that was indeed interesting to learn; the doctor had taken his ruby to power his own battle mech.

"No," Infinite replied. "I was taken out just after the sun disappeared." Again, that was a true fact.

"Oh yeah, there was some huge battle going on then, too," Tawny recalled before shrugging her shoulders, continuing to walk with Infinite. "I really didn't see much of the fight. I was just trynna find some place safe when that was going on."

 _Coward._

"Tell me more about the giant robot which the doctor was using," Infinite requested. He had to find out more. What did it look like? How was it defeated?

"It was just some big robot," Tawny described. "I don't know what else to say about it. Although, I do know that when it got badly damaged, another robot burst right outta the chest. Then the fight took place in some other dimension, I think."

Null Space. It had to have happened in Null Space.

"So, there were two robots," Infinite recapped. "When the first was taken out, another one emerged and took the battle to… the other dimension."

"Sounds about right," Tawny nodded.

"Which one do you believe he was piloting?" the jackal pressed. Tawny rubbed her chin in thought.

"Eggman always pilots his big robots," she said. "The cockpit was in the chest of the first robot, right where the second robot was dormant, but it doesn't make sense for Eggman to control one robot from inside another. My guess would be that the second robot acted on its own, and Eggman was in the first robot. Otherwise that would mean the doctor is trapped in another dimension."

Now that would not be good, so hopefully Tawny was correct.

Infinite simply nodded his head in response to what the coyote had told him. "Then let's make our way to the fortress," he finalised. Tawny grinned at him.

"It's a long walk," she warned playfully.

"I'll be fine," Infinite spat, walking in the direction of the fortress he had previously come from. Tawny followed.

The walk was fine for about ten minutes, even with Tawny constantly trying to make conversation, but tiredness was striking once again. Why was it so difficult for him to walk? It was humiliating to grow tired so fast, and even more so when seeing that a cowardly creature like Tawny could continue strolling along at her usual pace.

Tawny definitely noticed that Infinite was slowing down, his breaths getting heavier, and she almost laughed at the sight. "Okay, how were you even allowed to fight for the Resistance if you can't even walk?" she inquired.

"Shut up," Infinite snarled viciously, continuing to push himself forward but ultimately finding that he had collapsed once again. Why? Why couldn't he walk? Why was it so difficult for him when it was so easy for everyone else?

Tawny rolled her eyes and grabbed Infinite by his arm, hoisting him up and allowing him to wrap his arm around her shoulders for support.

Now this was just degrading.

The coyote walked along, supporting the jackal all the way without much trouble, which just made Infinite feel so much worse. If he wanted to be strong, then he had to be strong without the ruby. Then, once the ruby was returned to him, he would be even stronger.

With the journey being so long, it was only natural for Tawny to once again try and make conversation. Could the situation become much worse when Infinite was already being practically carried by the girl?

"Y'know, I've never actually been to the fortress," the coyote commented. "It looks really impressive and intimidating. Why can't us 'good guys' have anything like this?"

No. He wasn't going to even say anything in response. This conversation was pointless.

Tawny noticed that he was being deliberately silent, but she was going to be persistent. "You were there earlier, right? Didn't you walk all the way from the fortress to the city?"

He kept his mouth shut.

"Come on," Tawny sighed. "Can you at least tell me what it's like now that it's no longer being run by anybody?"

"You'll see when you get there," Infinite shot back at her. He couldn't keep silent for much longer if she was going to be this annoying.

"Man, you're rude," Tawny huffed. "You could be a _little_ nicer since I'm helping you walk."

"I don't need help," Infinite snarled, attempting to prove his point by shoving Tawny away and continuing on with the walk by himself.

He fell to the floor within seconds.

"Darn it!" he found himself yelling. Those words were not the sort he would usually say, but what else could he exclaim? How else could he express his pure frustration?

Tawny stopped and stood beside him, looking down at the jackal. "So, do you want me to keep walking ahead or do you need help?" she asked. She knew the answer, which is why Infinite remained silent. He wasn't going to beg for help form anybody. Depending on other people made him weak. Strength came from using other people to his advantage, and that's exactly what he was doing. He was using Tawny to get to the doctor.

The coyote lifted him up once again and continued to walk, and this time, much to his own surprise, Infinite decided to speak up.

"How?" he asked quietly. "How can you walk for this long?"

"Well, for one I'm not some worn out soldier," Tawny answered simply, "but I guess I've been on my legs since I was a little kid. I walked, I ran, I climbed… my legs are just strong."

He used to do that. He used to do all of those things. When he became the Phantom Ruby's host, all of that changed. He was no longer someone who used his natural strength, but instead someone who depended on power from other sources.

"Ever wonder if maybe your legs are injured?" Tawny questioned. "Like, maybe you damaged them in battle or something?"

"They are not wounded," Infinite confirmed, still with a hint of irritation in his voice.

"Well, I'm no doctor, so I can't say otherwise," Tawny replied. "I'm just making guesses."

"How much longer until we reach the fortress?" Infinite questioned, clearly still not wanting to engage in an actual conversation.

"It's gonna take a while," Tawny reminded him, then hearing him sigh with annoyance. "Hey, it wouldn't be that bad if you just passed the time by talking."

"There is nothing to talk about," Infinite growled.

"Man, you're a bore," Tawny huffed, but despite her disagreement with Infinite's words, she actually did remain silent for the rest of the journey, maybe occasionally saying something about how close they were getting to the fortress. Then, when they were close enough, Infinite pushed himself away from her. He had recovered enough and definitely no longer needed to be carried.

Tawny whistled as she gazed up at the fortress, impressed by its design and intimidating size. "Whoa, I could swear this bad boy of a fortress is bigger than the city we just came from," she admired. "Maybe it's even bigger than the capital."

"I doubt that," Infinite murmured, walking towards the fortress in hopes of finding the main entrance.

"Hey, be careful!" Tawny warned. "You never know what sorta traps are around here!"

"You underestimate my knowledge of this place," Infinite countered calmly, climbing up one of the iron walls in order to reach a platform. He knew what the entrance to the fortress looked like, but he couldn't quite recall where it was located.

Tawny climbed up after him, her climbing speed being much faster. "Knowledge of the fortress, huh?" she repeated. "Did you infiltrate it or something?"

"You don't deserve to know," Infinite shut down, his eyes scanning the area. It was then, at the same time as Tawny, that he spotted the ruins of the Death Egg Robot which the doctor had used.

"Check it out!" Tawny grinned. "The robot is down there! Coming up here was a great idea – we would've been walking around for ages if we kept on the ground."

"I didn't come up here to spot that," Infinite corrected. "I'm here to find the entrance to the inside of the fortress."

"Oh," Tawny responded. "Well, then, how about this: I'll investigate the destroyed robot and the surrounding area while you look around inside?"

"Perfect," Infinite agreed, almost smirking. This definitely gave him an advantage. It was more likely that the doctor was hiding out inside the fortress rather than within the ruins of his robot, and splitting up would also mean that he could find Eggman and talk to him as Infinite rather than as Zero.

"Great!" Tawny smiled. "Whoever finds him first gets the money!" And with that, she hopped down towards the ground.

Once she had left, Infinite continued to wander along the walls. He knew that the entrance was somewhere on this level, but just didn't know where. It may have taken him a few minutes, but eventually he found the long bridge which led inside the fortress, and seeing it almost made him grin.

The jackal made his way inside and almost felt right at home. This was where he was reborn. This was where he last remembered being awake as…

He stopped walking as he tried to remember. Losing to Sonic wasn't the last thing that happened when he blacked out. He was returned to the fortress, and by that point he was still awake.

" _I won't let you take it!"_

The memory was very vague, and Infinite didn't want to focus on it right now. Instead he just continued to walk through the dark base, which was much darker now that there was no power. Usually Infinite would depend on his mask and the power of the ruby to help him see, but now he just had to depend on his natural eyesight.

Infinite wandered through the halls, finding himself walking through the room full of glass capsules, much alike to the one he was born in. This was the doctor's main room, where he often monitored the outside world and worked on his projects.

"Siding with those pests, are we, Infinite?" came that all-too-familiar voice. Infinite turned around, only to see the doctor walking up behind him.

"They couldn't even find you here," the jackal reacted, amused at how incompetent the Resistance truly was.

"Those fools always forget to look for me once they defeat me in battle," Eggman explained as he stroked his moustache. "It's how I always come back with a new plan."

"And what is your new plan, doctor?" Infinite queried. Eggman merely frowned.

"Not one that concerns you," he spat. "You've failed me enough times, Infinite. I have no reason to keep you around anymore."

Oh, he could not be serious.

Infinite took a few steps closer to the doctor, his eyes narrowed. "You always lose," he pointed out. "You have never come close to defeating Sonic and his friends – not until I wiped them out for you. Your mistake was keeping Sonic alive for as long as you did."

"My mistake was entrusting you with the Phantom Ruby!" Eggman argued. "I should've given it to Metal Sonic, or some other powerful and obedient robot, instead of giving it to a useless mercenary like you!"

Those words struck something in him, but they didn't strike deep. Instead Infinite maintained his glare, stepping closer once again. "Tell me where the Phantom Ruby is, doctor," he demanded quietly. "If I'm as useless as you say I am, then allow me to prove that to you. Let me prove that I cannot make you and your army submit to my will."

A grin was on Eggman's face. "Heh heh heh!" he laughed. "Good luck looking for it; it returned to the other Sonic's dimension!"

No.

No, that could not be true.

The ruby could not be gone.

Eggman could see Infinite trying to process what he had heard, before the jackal scowled again. "That's a lie," he hissed.

"If I knew where it was, I would be using it myself," Eggman admitted, "and I know that the Resistance doesn't have it, so it is gone." The scientist's grin grew wider. "What will you do without your power, Infinite? Will you still make me and my army submit to your will?"

His black-gloved fists clenched.

His teeth grinded together.

His eyes filled with rage.

 _The Phantom Ruby was gone._

Infinite snarled and jumped upwards, ready to mercilessly attack the doctor, but something knocked him down and onto his back. "What?!" he snapped, looking around. His assailant then landed slowly on the metallic ground in front of him.

It was… him?

No. It was a robot.

Wearing his mask.

"I was expecting you to try betraying me during the war," Eggman explained, "so I built a more obedient version of you."

The glowing pink jewel on the robot's chest was clearly not the real Phantom Ruby – not even one of the prototypes – and seemed to just be the cover for the power core.

Infinite pushed himself slowly up to his feet, cautiously watching the robotic version of himself which stood before him. "And what do you intend to do with this piece of scrap metal?" he queried, still managing to remain somewhat calm. "Do you honestly think it can lead you to victory?"

"It will," Eggman stated. "But first, I need to make sure it's better than the original." Infinite already knew what Eggman meant by that, and the scientist's unhinged grin only made his suspicions more apparent. "Metal Infinite, destroy your base model!"

No words came from Metal Infinite at all, and he didn't even nod. He just simply obeyed. As Eggman began to walk away, Metal Infinite flew forwards and grabbed Infinite tightly by his throat with one clawed hand, throwing him into the broken control panel by the large computer. Infinite growled, but before he could get up, his metal counterpart had grabbed his ankle and pulled him back, this time slamming him hard against the ground. The organic jackal had barely any time to respond to anything that was going on, as Metal Infinite kicked him into a wall. This wasn't good; Infinite would surely be killed if he tried to fight back, considering the fact that he didn't even have time to make a move.

Infinite looked up, seeing that the false ruby upon Metal Infinite's chest was now glowing much brighter and emitting a loud buzzing noise. That's when Infinite realised that it must have been charging something up – like a laser beam.

Immediately Infinite swiped Metal Infinite off balance, jumping up onto his two feet. His aggressive personality only led him to kick his doppelganger in the back, but that move was a mistake. Metal Infinite grabbed the jackal's ankle, pulling him down to the ground and pinning him onto his back. Once again, his laser started to charge up, and Infinite found himself staring into the mask so many others must have faced before their own deaths. He was going to die just like them.

"Infinite!" yelled a female voice.

Tawny.

Infinite turned his head, thinking that she was calling him by his true name, but instead she was actually challenging the robot. Metal Infinite didn't respond to her, although that wasn't something she was waiting for. The bounty hunter launched a grappling hook from her wrist, letting it impale the machine's back slightly so that she could then pull him back. The robot didn't even process this, and was instead only trying to get back to Infinite, so Tawny pounced over his head and stood in front of the organic jackal as if she were a shield.

"You want this dude, do ya?" she asked, seeing that Metal Infinite was now standing still and staring right at her. "Well, if you _really_ want him, then you're gonna have to take me on. Whoever wins gets Zero, and whoever loses dies."

For a moment there was no response from Metal Infinite, but he seemed to eventually understand the situation. Tawny would not stop getting in his way unless he destroyed her, so that was what he was going to do.

Metal Infinite flew towards Tawny and attempted to strike her with his tail – which was a much more useful weapon compared to a normal jackal tail – but Tawny hopped over it before switching into a backflip, sticking her leg out so that she could kick Metal Infinite upwards. Her foot making contact with the metal caused her to grimace slightly, mainly from surprise.

"I didn't know that Infinite was just a robot," she thought out loud after she landed back on her two feet.

Was this how cocky Tawny would be if she got in a fight with the real Infinite? Or was he really as pathetic as this robot clone?

Metal Infinite's yellow eye glowed brightly as he finally unleashed his laser beam, but once again Tawny was able to swiftly move aside. "Okay, I always thought that pretty thing on your chest was some kinda jewel," she continued to think out loud. "That's a shame; it would've been nice to kill you and take something that precious away from your body."

She wouldn't be able to. She would stand no chance against Infinite if he had his Phantom Ruby. Nobody would take that away from him. Except…

" _Hand it over, Infinite!"_

" _I won't let you take it!"_

The doctor…

Tawny aimed her grappling hook and was able to shoot it into the false ruby, causing Metal Infinite to freeze on the spot as his one visible eye flickered. The coyote grinned in a proud manner as she whipped her hook back, pulling out some important components which had been powering the machine. After that, Metal Infinite lifelessly fell onto his front.

"Easy!" Tawny boasted, then looking towards the real Infinite, who now sat upright. He didn't seem to need much help at the moment, so she turned her attention back to the robot, removing the mask from its face. For a moment Infinite stared, wandering if the doctor had created a second face, but to his mild relief it was revealed that Metal Infinite's face was more alike to any other jackal, with a pair of two yellow eyes instead of one eye being blue. "Aw, he's even got a face beneath the mask," Tawny chirped before looking back at Infinite, then going as far as to even hold the mask up to her face, even speaking with a now-altered voice. "Hey, Zero, do you think this suits me?"

No, it did not.

"You look like an idiot," was all the jackal responded with. Tawny lowered the mask and chuckled, examining it casually.

"It doesn't fit me, anyway," she replied, "but it'll be a great little trophy." The coyote held it forward. "Wanna try it on?"

This was painful. This was truly painful. The ruby was gone, and the last thing that remained of his identity was right in front of him, but he couldn't accept it. He could only accept it if he was ready to fight for a true, achievable purpose. But right now, there was nothing he could do. Even if he did just try it on to amuse Tawny and prevent her from being more of a pest, it would clearly prove that he was the true Infinite. Not only would it suit him, but it would fit him perfectly, and it would even clip around his ears as it was designed to.

"No," he refused, finally pushing himself up to his feet. Standing only caused a shooting pain to run up his left leg the moment he put pressure on the limb, which definitely came as a surprise. It had been too long since he had felt actual pain.

The jackal attempted not to respond in any way, but couldn't hold back a grimace and a grunt, which caught Tawny's attention.

"What's up?" the coyote asked him, tilting her head slightly. Even though this wasn't the first time he had been complaining about something silently, she could tell that something was worse. That was when she spotted that his leg was badly wounded. "Oh, man, never mind, I see it – that guy got you good."

"What?" Infinite growled back, looking down and seeing that Tawny was right. His leg was definitely wounded.

"I'm not gonna hear the end of it if you don't get that sorted out," Tawny stated. "Luckily for you, I know a thing or two when it comes to treating wounds."

"Come near me and I'll injure both of your legs," Infinite threatened lowly. Tawny just smirked.

"I'll treat my own, then, and let you walk all the way back on that leg," she countered.

Touché.

"Tch," Infinite hissed, sitting down on the ground and folding his arms as he looked away, defeated.

The coyote knelt down, looking his leg over before understanding which part needed patching up. Since she wasn't one to carry around medical supplies, she instead used the one piece of fabric she wore primarily for such an occasion if she herself received an injury: her purple vest. She ripped the material clean off and used it as a bandage, wrapping around Infinite's knee.

All so degrading.

"There," Tawny announced, getting up to her feet once she had picked up the mask. "That should stop you from bleeding and the pressure on the wound will reduce the pain." All Infinite did was grumble and stand himself back up. His leg still ached, but it was much more bearable than it was a few moments ago.

"So then, shall we get going?" Tawny asked. Infinite stared at her oddly.

"The doctor," he reminded her. "We came here to find the doctor. He was in this room before that… robot attacked me."

"Oh, yeah, I bumped into him on the way in here," Tawny replied. "Don't worry, I got him all restrained. Once we get back, I'll inform the authorities that I took both him and Infinite out."

Well, she would be disappointed to be told that she didn't destroy the real Infinite.

"You sure you don't want any cash at all from this?" the coyote questioned. Infinite merely shook his head, but then he paused.

"…I'll think about it," he muttered. If Eggman wasn't taking him back, and the Phantom Ruby was gone, then he truly was lost. Maybe money was something he needed now.

"Huh," Tawny reacted. "What's changed all of a sudden? Is it cos you just wanna get back at Infinite for hurting you? And your squad?"

"…Perhaps," was all Infinite said as a reply. "There will be methods of transport located here; we should take one of those to travel back into the city in." No way was he going to walk all the way back with his leg in such a condition.

"Good idea, limpy," Tawny agreed with a nod of the head, then turning around and beginning to walk out of the room. That was when Infinite noticed something… weird. Now that Tawny was no longer wearing her vest, a pattern could now be seen upon her back.

Stripes. White stripes.

Coyotes were not striped.

Should he question it?

…Well, why not? There was nothing better to do.

"I never knew coyotes could have stripes," he spoke up as he limped behind Tawny. He expected the observation to catch her off guard, but it didn't.

"I could say the same about hedgehogs, but that Shadow guy proved everyone wrong," she countered.

Oh, Shadow, how much Infinite despised him.

"Shadow is not a true hedgehog," he pointed out. "Unless, of course, you are like him."

"Ha!" Tawny laughed. "If only. Do I look like some super cool science experiment?"

Cool was a debatable word when it came to describing someone like Shadow.

"No," Infinite answered blatantly, since Tawny was practically begging for that insult.

"Ah, well, may as well tell you," the coyote shrugged. "I'm not actually a full coyote. I'm a hybrid."

How obscure. Most of the time, if two different species fell in love, their children would not be hybrids; the male children would be the same species as the father and the female children would be the same species as the mother. The only time hybrids could be naturally born would be if they had two parents of a similar species, meaning that one of Tawny's parents was not too different to a coyote.

"A rare result indeed," Infinite noted. "That must mean you had two canine parents."

"Well done!" Tawny clapped sarcastically. "Want me to get you a medal for working that out?" Infinite could only frown at her attitude.

"You don't sound very willing to reveal what your other half is," he observed. Tawny glanced back at him.

"Oh, I'd be rubbing it in your face if I knew," she assured him, "but sadly I never knew my father, and my mother never told me what species he was. I just heard that I've grown up to be a lot like him." The hybrid grinned to herself. "I like to think he was a wolf. Wolves are awesome."

"They don't have stripes," Infinite pointed out.

"Whatever," Tawny shrugged. "He could've been anything, maybe even a hybrid himself."

"Hmph," Infinite reacted. It was unlikely that a hybrid produced a hybrid child, unless Tawny's father was a wolf-coyote, but that seemed unlikely. Tawny had stripes. "Do others know that you are a hybrid?"

"Of course not," Tawny answered, laughing slightly. "You think I'm that stupid? I know that other bounty hunters and mercenaries target people like me. Why else would I wear that vest?" Her first reason for wearing it may have been as extra fabric for wounds, but it seemed that it was truly used to hide her stripes.

Infinite knew too well that mercenaries targeted natural hybrids – back when he led Jackal Squad, he had definitely taken out a few. Most of them were just wolf-coyotes or wolf-dogs, which were honestly quite boring to kill after a while, but there were rare times when he encountered jackal-dogs, fox-dogs and fox-coyotes. Tawny looked like neither of them. Maybe he could find out what she was and see if she was worth handing over to someone who might be interested.

…Wow. It had been a long time since his mercenary brain had worked. Was he starting to become… his past self?

"Hey, check out these babies!" Tawny exclaimed, running into a hangar where she found some spare red jets. They could easily fit two people in one. "I call dibs on being the pilot!"

It's not like Infinite knew how to fly, anyway. He just silently walked over to the jet the coyote-hybrid had jumped into.

"Get in!" Tawny grinned, starting up the engine once she had safely stowed the mask she had taken as a trophy. "Let's give everyone in the city a show when we fly back in this bad boy!"

Or scare everyone to death and cause them to be shot down. Sure. Great idea.

Infinite heaved himself up and into the back of the jet, finding the task difficult with his leg and even found that his sitting position was uncomfortable. There was barely any room in this thing.

Tawny sealed up the cockpit and began slowly taxiing the jet onto the long runway, which led outside the fortress. "Hold on, Zero," she smirked. "I don't fly safely."

How reassuring.

Not even giving Infinite any time to protest, Tawny launched out of the fortress at full speed, taking off into the air. Infinite was luckily not someone who was easily made nauseous, even in his weakened state, so he just sat calmly. The jackal found himself looking out of the window, staring back at the fortress which he was leaving. The fortress which was now enemy territory to him.

Was he going to leave that life behind for good?

 **~End of Chapter~**


	4. Lost Identity

**~Lost Identity~**

Tawny was sane enough to land the jet outside the city, thankfully aware that she would cause a panic if landing nearby.

"That was fun!" the girl exclaimed as she hopped out of the jet, taking the jackal mask with her. Infinite climbed out carefully, trying his best to put as little weight on his leg as possible, but it was inevitable to prevent himself from hurting it slightly. "Alright, I'm gonna go hand in that poster and declare Eggman as a caught criminal. You can go do whatever."

How humorous it was to hear that. He so desperately wanted to leave and just go back to being a threat, but everything was gone. He couldn't be the same threat anymore, and he couldn't live a simple life where he just followed the doctor's orders.

"Hold onto this for me," Tawny commanded, shoving the mask into Infinite's hands before rushing off to report Eggman's capture.

Now this was the very definition of mental torture.

Infinite stared down at the mask as he sat himself down on a low wall within the city. That was his face. He was looking right at Infinite, but putting that mask back on wouldn't change him. He wouldn't be stronger. Even if he thought it would at least give him some kind of mental strength, he would easily be taken out.

"Zero?" came a child's voice. A child who knew him? …It could only be one.

Infinite lifted his head, coming face-to-face with Ace.

"…You," he responded weirdly. "Aren't you supposed to be in that temporary hospital?"

"I snuck out," Ace admitted, rubbing his foot guiltily against the ground. "I didn't really like it there."

"That's not my problem," Infinite said in response. He didn't feel like having a conversation with this child.

"I know," Ace replied, "I was just telling you why I'm not there."

Smart response.

Ace then tilted his head warily. "Is that mask… the one Infinite wore?" he asked. Infinite took a few seconds to respond as he glanced back at the mask, then focused again on Ace.

"Yes," he answered. "Tawny found it at the fortress and wants to… keep it."

Did he just use her name? Weird.

Although, it was weirder that he was going to let her keep his mask.

"You guys went to the fortress?" Ace gasped, his eyes wide with admiration. "What was it like?"

"A fortress," Infinite described. "There is not much to say about it."

"Aw, you and Tawny sound really cool…" Ace sighed. "When I grow up, I wanna be cool, too!"

"Define 'cool'," Infinite responded flatly. Ace shrugged his shoulders, standing with his hands behind his back.

"I wanna be tough," he explained. "Like how you and Tawny are. You were brave enough to jump from the bridge to save me. I was too scared to get out of the car…"

Brave. An interesting word to use.

"If you face your fears, you will become stronger," Infinite advised.

…Advised?

Was he trying to educate this child?

"Huh," Ace reacted, tilting his head again but this time in a curious manner. "I'll try that! Then I can be a hero! Like you and Tawny!"

"We're not heroes," Infinite clarified. "I am definitely not a hero."

"But you saved me," Ace pointed out. "You started to fall, too."

"I'm not a hero," Infinite repeated. He was not afraid to disappoint the child at all.

"Well… I think you are…" Ace muttered to himself, staring at the ground. Stubborn children were definitely annoying. Despite the jackal child's slight sadness in Infinite's words, he was still able, like most children, to smile and stop wallowing in sorrow. "I still wanna be like you! I bet nothing scares you! Not even Infinite!"

That was true. Nothing frightened Infinite, not even himself. Well, himself at full power. It was weird to think like that; what was to become of the powerful Infinite, if he could no longer exist?

Ace climbed up onto the wall, sitting beside the older jackal. "Did you see him?" he asked. Infinite stared at him, mostly focused on the fact that Ace had the audacity to think he could be so close.

"Who?" he responded.

"Infinite," Ace whispered, almost as if afraid that Infinite was listening to the conversation. He had no idea.

Infinite just sat silently and thought about it, not wanting to say anything which could give away his identity. "…I did," he answered.

"What was he like?" Ace pressed, his yellow eyes wide with curiosity and interest.

"He was powerful," Infinite described. "He was a dangerous weapon. All he wanted to do was cause mass destruction."

"What happened to him?" Ace interrogated. "Did he die?"

"…I do not know," Infinite answered, with a hint of honesty in his tone as he stared at the mask again. Could he be considered dead now that there was no way for him to regain his power?

"It's sad," Ace then said, catching Infinite's attention. "He was really strong, but he didn't use his powerfulness to help people. He just hurt them." The child stared towards the floor with sad eyes. "He makes other jackals look bad – like us. I wish he didn't have to be bad."

That was a weird thing to say, especially coming from a child which Infinite was partially responsible for orphaning.

"People are foolish if they think the actions of one jackal define how other jackals think," he responded with, not wanting to discuss how 'sad' it was that Infinite wasn't a good person. "I imagine that not all hedgehogs are _heroes,_ so why should one jackal be the face of a species?" Ace shrugged his shoulders.

"People are foolish," he repeated.

Great. Now Infinite was actually having an impact on the kid. That was not what he wanted.

At that moment, Tawny came running over to the duo. She looked like she was going to say one thing, but immediately changed the topic upon seeing Ace. "Oh! Hey, there, kid," she said as a response to his presence. "What're you doing here?"

"He snuck out of the hospital," Infinite answered before Ace could say anything. "Apparently he didn't like it there."

"Aw," Tawny reacted, crouching down so that she could face Ace properly. He was avoiding making eye-contact, most likely because he felt guilty about running away. "Hey. It's not safe for you to be out on your own," the hybrid continued. "When the city's all cleaned up, you'll be able to leave that place."

"They'll have to find me a new home, first," Ace said sadly. "I don't think anyone wants a jackal now…"

"Oh, yeah, because of Infinite," Tawny recalled, then looking towards the terror himself. "Yeah, the guys down there said that the real Infinite's an actual jackal, not a robot."

"Hmph," Infinite responded, nodding his head slightly. It's not like he was surprised to hear the news.

"Well, we'll see how things go, okay?" Tawny then said to Ace with a reassuring smile. "Zero and I will check on you whenever we can. We'll help you find a home."

Oh, for the love of the Phantom Ruby…

"You'd do that for me…?" Ace asked, looking up at Tawny with hopeful eyes. Tawny nodded.

"Of course," she grinned. "Now get back to that hospital, kid. Things will change when the city's sorted out. I promise."

Ace smiled up at her, with an expression which looked somewhat goofy. Like a child, no doubt, but still goofy. "Thanks, Miss Tawny," he thanked before hopping off the wall, running back in the direction of the hospital. Tawny could only chuckle.

"Cute kid," she said while folding her arms, then hearing no words coming from Infinite. She looked to him and nodded her head. "How's your leg?"

Infinite looked down at his patched-up knee, trying to straighten the limb up but wincing slightly. "It will get better," he answered.

"Well, yeah, it's not broken," Tawny reminded him. "It's just a little bashed up from the fight you had."

He probably received the injury when being thrown into the control panel. That attack was the most brutal during the fight.

"Anyway, I'm gonna wait for the doctor to be brought back so that I can receive my payment," Tawny continued. "You got any plans?"

"I'm going to rest," Infinite replied, as much as it pained him to say such words.

"In someone else's abandoned house?" Tawny asked him. "How are you gonna cope when all of those homes are inhabited again?"

"The population has dropped," Infinite countered, managing to stand himself up as he handed his mask to Tawny with some hesitance. "Not all of these houses will be inhabited."

"Do you have the money to get yourself a house?" Tawny smirked.

No. He didn't.

"…I'll find a way," the jackal said, turning on his good heel. He was about to walk away, but he glanced back at Tawny one last time. "Oh, and I'd recommend finding a new vest. Your stripes can be seen."

"Oh yeah," Tawny remembered, trying to look at her own back. She then grinned. "I've got plenty back at my place."

At least she wasn't stupid enough to own one vest, otherwise she would definitely be dead already.

The jackal just nodded his head, turning around and beginning to limp away.

"I'll see you around, then," Tawny waved, walking away in the other direction.

She would. She had proven enough times already that she could find him, but at least she allowed him to have time alone.

…Now he was pointing out something positive about her? What was his life coming to?

Infinite made his way through the entire city, seeing that he had almost reached Green Hill. He had spent some time there while he was still a threat, so he decided to go into the area where he sat down by a river.

He didn't want to admit it, but Green Hill was peaceful. The sound of the distant waterfall, the birds tweeting, the wind gently blowing through the plants… it was pleasant.

The jackal stared into the water thoughtfully, tilting his head. He was looking right at his face. The face he hated. The face he wanted to hide from everyone.

Was this him now?

He ran his hand against his face, mainly tracing the scar over his eye.

Then his hand started to shake.

Why? Why was it shaking?

He slowly pulled his hand away and looked at it. It was still shaking.

All he did was look at his own face, and now this.

Was that it?

Was he afraid of his own face?

…No.

He was afraid of what his face reminded him of.

" _Boss! He took out Blank!"_

" _ **Don't lose focus! Get that hedgehog before he takes out any more of us!"**_

" _Where is he?! I thought I had sights on him!"_

" _Over here! BOSS!"_

" _ **Kali?!"**_

He could hear them all echoing through his head. They had never been so panicked and unfocused, but that's what Shadow did to his squad. Shadow messed with their heads until every last member of Jackal Squad was lifelessly laying on the floor.

Infinite hated Shadow for that. His whole life had been ruined.

 _Ruined._

He thought that he had strengthened after the event, but now here he was, shaking at the sight of his own face. The face he tried to hide.

"It's a nice spot here, huh?" came yet another familiar voice. "It's taken a while to clean it up, but it was a good thing that Eggman didn't do too much damage here during the war."

Infinite turned his head to see who was talking, only to fall into the water out of surprise. Standing only feet away from him was Sonic himself.

Sonic pulled Infinite out of the water after grabbing him by the back of his neck. "You okay, buddy?" he asked. "You seem a little jumpy."

The jackal stood with a frown as water dripped from his fur, his entire body now drenched with water. This was definitely not an ideal situation to be in.

"So, whatcha doing here? Taking a break from putting the city back together?" Sonic queried. Infinite just stared at him.

Sonic had no idea who he was.

"…Yes," the jackal answered slowly. The blue hedgehog laughed.

"It's pretty tiring work," he confessed, "but with everyone working together, the world should be back to normal in no time."

Infinite stayed silent, still staring at Sonic. How was he even supposed to act in this situation?

Sonic tilted his head. "Hey, if you're mad at me for scaring you, I'm sorry," he apologized. "Anyway, haven't we met before? You look familiar…"

Infinite's eyes widened a little. Sonic was one of the few people who managed to get up close and personal with him. Maybe losing the mask wasn't enough to keep him disguised.

"…I don't believe we have met," the jackal responded slowly and quietly, still tense due to be covered in water. It wasn't too good for his leg, either. "You… may have seen me on the battlefield."

Always good to stick to the truth, so long as important details were deliberately missed out.

"Oh, yeah," Sonic nodded. "Lots of brave people helped us win that fight against Eggman and Infinite. We couldn't have done it if we all didn't work together."

Listening to him just made Infinite want to punch him across the face, but he had to hold himself back. Sonic would be able to beat him in a fight now that he had nothing to fight with.

"…Right," Infinite agreed painfully. "…Let us hope that there's no conflict for some time."

"Yeah," Sonic grinned. "But I like kicking butt. It's what I do best."

 _Just go away already._

"So I've heard," Infinite found himself saying in a somewhat tense manner. He really wanted to be left alone right now.

"Well, I'm gonna go for a run," Sonic decided, much to Infinite's relief. "I'll see you around, um… hey, what's your name, anyway?"

"Zero," Infinite replied with immediately.

"Alright. See you around, Zero!"

And finally, in the blink of an eye, Sonic was gone, followed by a gush of strong wind.

What another degrading encounter that was. An actual conversation with someone as annoying as Sonic, all the while being treated like a comrade.

A comrade who resembled a wet towel, that is.

Infinite shook his body in an attempt to dry himself off, but he still remained wet. It was a little more bearable now that water wasn't dripping from every part of his body, but it was still annoying.

Well, one thing Sonic did do was snap him out of his little trance. Now he was no longer shaking in fear like some coward.

Perhaps now was a good time to leave the area, just in case Sonic made a return. He wasn't going to have anymore conversations with that hedgehog.

Infinite started limping through the landscape, heading back towards the city, when his ear twitched. He had heard something.

"Did you hear that the coyote caught Eggman?"

Voices. Gruff voices.

"Yeah. Took out Infinite too, apparently."

"Nah, it was just a cheap robot."

Infinite quietly followed the sound of the voices, finding himself within one of Green Hill's low caves. He crouched behind a rock and continued to listen to the discussion.

"Darn. That coyote's always one step ahead of us."

"And we can't even catch her. There are people who would pay good money to see her dead, but she's always outsmarting everyone who goes for her."

Infinite lifted his head to see who was talking, and his gaze became a hard glare.

 _Wolf Squad._

This was going to be a problem. While nobody recognised Infinite with his mask off, there were still people who knew his natural face. The members of Wolf Squad used to cause problems for Jackal Squad in the past, so letting them see him would only make him an easy target.

Infinite knew who the leader was: Scar. He was a tough-looking grey wolf with a torn black jacket. He wore black gloves and heavy black boots along with a skull-buckled belt, and to top off the look he wore a real fang attached to a thin chain around his neck. The most notable thing about Scar was that his left eye was marked by a black tattoo, and his right eye was clouded from a past injury which blinded him, along with a scar to finish the look. His natural eye colour was blue.

Scar hadn't said anything as he sat and listened to his squad members, but he then finally chose to speak. "We need to find out when she leaves the city," he planned. "We're still on the wanted register there, so we have to wait for her to leave that little safe spot. Once she's vulnerable, we'll take her out."

"Yeah," grinned one of the other wolves. "Then we'll find someone who'll pay us for her."

"Trust me, plenty of people want her dead," Scar assured. "We just need to find whoever pays the most." The scarred wolf then sniffed the air. "…Do you smell wet dog?"

 _Shoot._

"Smells more like a wet jackal," another wolf described.

"Someone's here," Scar confirmed lowly, his ears standing tall.

"You don't suppose it's Ridge, do you?" asked one wolf.

Ridge? Who was Ridge?

"We're about to find out," Scar responded, drawing out two daggers.

Infinite looked around for a quick exit, seeing that the safest way out was to jump into the cave's water and swim away. That was exactly what he did. He jumped down and dived into the water, keeping below the surface of the murky liquid as he swam as hard as he could, straining his wounded leg.

"Hey!" Scar yelled, running after him. He had already lost sight of the jackal, with the water not exactly being crystal clear.

"Did you see him?" asked one of the other wolves who came to join Scar's side.

"Barely," Scar answered, keeping his eyes on the water. "It definitely wasn't Ridge, although that guy did look a little familiar…"

Infinite held his breath for as long as he could as he swam away, eventually needing to resurface before he blacked out. Thankfully he was away from the cave, and was even near the city. The scar-faced jackal climbed his way back onto land, desperately trying to catch his breath, and wandered back into the city. His leg was hurting so much more now.

People were definitely giving Infinite strange looks, but he chose to ignore them. His eyes were on the look out for Tawny. Did she know about Wolf Squad's grudge against her?

…Wait, why did he even care?

…No. He didn't care. He was just going to tell her to see the look on her face.

Infinite managed to spot Tawny – who now wore another purple vest – and approached her at a slow pace. The hybrid turned around, only to freeze and stare at him awkwardly.

"What happened to you?" she asked the jackal, referring to his once again soaked body.

"I have no need to answer your questions," Infinite grumbled.

"Dude, you're soaked," Tawny chuckled, finding it hard to hide the fact that she was amused by the sight.

"If you must know, I happened to encounter a pack of wolves," Infinite growled. "They seemed interested in coming after you."

"Oh, not Scar again…" Tawny sighed, her ears drooping. "The guy can't leave me alone. He hates me just because I'm better than him and his stupid mercenary squad."

So, she knew about them.

"What happened, then?" Tawny questioned. "Did they speak to you? Do they know you know me?"

"They didn't confront me," Infinite told her. "I happened to be in Green Hill and then I heard them talking about a coyote who caught the doctor."

"Oh, yeah, I got paid, by the way," Tawny added in quickly. Infinite frowned at her.

"You don't seem worried that a group of mercenaries is after you," he pointed out.

"Why should I be?" Tawny queried. "They've been after me for years. If anything, they're getting worse at trying to kill me."

"They mentioned somebody named Ridge before I… made a tactical retreat," Infinite recalled. "Who is that?"

"Oh, I've heard of him," Tawny answered. "He's some lone thief or something. He saved my life from those guys back when I wasn't as experienced as I am now. I dunno why…"

"Is he a jackal?" Infinite pressed. Tawny nodded her head.

"Yeah," she replied. "Why, did you bump into him, too?"

"No," Infinite responded, shaking his head slowly. "Those mangy wolves seemed to… mistake me for him."

Tawny just laughed. "They mistook you for an old man!" she cackled. Infinite frowned. Could she never take anything seriously?

The coyote-hybrid started walking. "Well, drippy, let's get you dried off," she said. "You're gonna catch a cold if you stay like that. You can tell me more about what those wolves said later."

"You're seriously not concerned?" Infinite questioned, walking after her. Getting dry was probably for the better, but it was still humiliating to be like this in the first place.

"Nope," Tawny answered. "I've kicked their butts enough times. I'm tougher than I look, y'know."

Perhaps she was telling the truth, but then again Wolf Squad weren't exactly the most intelligent of canine mercenary squads. They enjoyed getting in the way and definitely had the strength to do well in a fight, but they were easy to beat in mind games.

It was a shame that they hadn't been completely wiped out. They deserved to be destroyed. He'd trade them all for Jackal Squad any day.

He couldn't think about them now. They were gone. He had to focus on his own life as it was now. Could he return to his mercenary ways when he hated all of the mercenaries who were still alive? Could he possibly create a new squad?

…No. He could never replace them.

Maybe his life should change. Even if he was destined to become Zero again, he couldn't be the same Zero.

Maybe, just maybe, Tawny was the one who could lead him on the right path.

Unless those wolves were finally able to outsmart her…

Could he let that happen? Did he care about Tawny enough? No… did he care about her at all?

 _No._

Infinite cared for no one.

Not after losing everyone he held dear.

 **~End of Chapter~**


	5. Shadows of the Past

**~Shadows of the Past~**

Having arrived at one of the houses in the city, Infinite sat by the fireplace with a towel wrapped around him. He didn't want to admit that this was making him feel better, but it definitely was. Both the towel and the fire worked together to dry off the water which had tangled into his fur.

"So, what else did those wolves say?" Tawny asked, also sitting near the fire but further away from Infinite. The black jackal stared at the dancing orange flames as he tried to remember.

"They did not say much else," he confirmed. "Most of what I heard involved them discussing how irritating you were to them." That was actually quite amusing to say.

"You didn't even stay long enough to hear if they had a plan set up?" Tawny questioned.

"They knew I was there," Infinite reminded her somewhat irritably, casting her a glare. "Besides, I already informed you of their plan to target you when you're not in the city."

"So, I'm just supposed to stay here to avoid them?" Tawny asked him with a frown on her face. "Not my style, scar-face."

"I'm not telling you to save yourself," Infinite corrected. "You can do what you wish with this information."

Tawny shrugged her shoulders. "I guess I'll just ignore them for now," she decided. "They can't get to me while I'm here, and I'm gonna be in this city for a while longer, anyway, so I'll deal with those losers when I actually leave."

Infinite glanced around the room. If she left a house this nice empty, then he would definitely take it. That would solve his current homeless problem.

"Would I be right to guess that you have temporary homes across the world?" the jackal then asked. Tawny nodded her head and smiled proudly.

"I'm everywhere," she answered in a somewhat playful tone.

"You must have a true home," Infinite continued, ignoring her playfulness. "Don't you take trophies from your catches?"

"Smart," Tawny grinned. "Of course I have an actual home where everything is kept, but I'm not telling you where it is. Don't wanna lose everything I've worked for."

Fair enough.

"Hmph," Infinite responded, just continuing to stare at the fire. _So warm…_

The jackal started thinking about the individual he had been mistaken for earlier: Ridge. How come he had never heard of this guy? Maybe Ridge never wanted to cause any trouble for Jackal Squad with him being the same species, or maybe he was even a relative of one of his squad mates, but it was still bizarre that he didn't know anything about him, yet he had pasts with both Wolf Squad and Tawny.

There was not much else to really focus on with Ridge, so Infinite decided to fill the silence. "Those wolves don't seem to know that you're a hybrid," he stated.

"I told you before, nobody knows I am," Tawny reminded. "Well, except you. I couldn't think of a convincing lie about my stripes when you saw them."

"You barely know who I am," Infinite said to her with some form of edge in his tone, as if trying to imply that he was a potential threat to her. "I could've killed you there and then once I discovered your hybrid status." Tawny laughed almost mockingly.

"Yeah, yeah, of course," she replied sarcastically. "You would've definitely taken me out when you were all beat-up. Listen, Zero, I know you fought in the war and all, but you're not as strong as you think you are. I could knock you out in a heartbeat."

Tawny had no idea how true some of those words were. Infinite really wasn't as strong as he believed he was, now that the ruby was gone. And, having depended on it for so long, he had grown… weaker.

Infinite just let out a quiet sigh and closed his eyes, irritated that she was right. Being looked down on like this was just so agonizing.

"You look kinda tired," Tawny noticed, which made Infinite reopen his eyes. "You should get some rest. I'm gonna go look for some other survivors."

She was just going to leave him in her house?

Tawny hopped up to her feet, grinning down at the jackal. "I can trust you not to rummage through my stuff, and if you do, well…" the maroon-haired hybrid had a somewhat dark glimmer in her eyes as she continued on, "I'll know exactly whose legs I need to break."

That was a little unsettling to hear, but again, fair enough. If Infinite had a house like this, he'd hate it if someone looked through everything. Even his old squad mates would not be able to escape his wrath.

"See ya later," Tawny waved before finally leaving.

Now Infinite was alone.

Warm.

Quiet.

Private.

It really couldn't get much better than this, so Infinite curled up in his towel and decided that a nap wouldn't be so bad. He stared with glazed eyes at the orange flames, feeling himself drifting away…

" _Man, this job is so boring…" Striker said as he twirled his daggers between his fingers. "Nobody is gonna find out where this facility is."_

" _ **We're getting paid for this,"**_ _Zero reminded him._ _ **"Do not let yourself get distracted."**_

" _I'm just saying that nothing's happening," Striker shrugged._

" _Did you hear that?" asked Barrett, his jackal ears twitching beneath his red hat._

 _Everyone fell silent._

 _Then, before anyone could even react, Shadow had appeared, and Blank was on the ground._

 _Dead._

" _Boss! He took out Blank!" Null warned as Shadow vanished from sight._

 _It was true. Blank was on the ground, dead._

 _Zero grit his teeth together. He had to stay strong so that he could prevent any others from being killed._

" _ **Don't lose focus!"**_ _he commanded as he stood with his sword at the ready, with the others standing in similar positions._ _ **"Get that hedgehog before he takes out any more of us!"**_

 _Just as he finished saying those words, Shadow kicked him in the back, knocking him to the floor._

" _Boss!" Striker called out, but his lack of focus on Shadow led to his own demise. The red-striped hedgehog launched into him at full speed, knocking him down from the cliffside and into the jungle water below._

 _Another one. Dead._

 _Once again, Shadow had disappeared, and the others were starting to panic._

" _Where is he?!" Anubis snapped angrily, getting ready to use his throwing knives. "I thought I had sights on him!"_

" _Over here!" Kali yelled as Shadow skated towards her on his hover shoes, but as he jumped into the air, the female jackal realised that she was in danger. "BOSS!"_

 _Zero's ears twitched as he looked in her direction, immediately getting up to his feet._ _ **"Kali?!"**_ _he reacted._

 _Kali had been knocked back, and then Shadow kicked her hard to knock her off the edge – just where Striker had fallen._

 _Zero wasn't going to let that happen._

 _Kali was clinging to the edge for dear life, staring up with wide eyes at Shadow as he approached her._

 _Zero ran as fast as he could, raising his sword to strike Shadow in the back with it, but the black hedgehog knew he was coming. Without even taking his eyes off Kali, Shadow held out his fist and let it collide with Zero's face._

 _Darkness._

 _When the darkness was gone, Zero saw his other squad mates were lying on the ground, too._

 _The only two who weren't there were Striker and Kali._

 _The Jackal Squad leader staggered to his feet, rubbing his head. He approached Barrett and nudged him with his foot._ _ **"Hey. Get up."**_

 _No movement._

 _Zero's eyes went wide._ _ **"Barrett. Get up."**_

 _Nothing._

 _He looked towards Anubis, jogging over and crouching down beside him, tapping his cheek lightly._ _ **"Anubis, wake up."**_

 _Nothing from him either._

 _Null was the same._

 _They were all dead._

 _Zero stood there with wide eyes, shaking, but his fists clenched as he did everything he could to force his tears back._

" _ **SHADOW!"**_ _he hollered._

"Zero?"

What?

Infinite's eyes opened quickly as he sat himself up, scurrying backwards slightly as he looked prepared to defend himself.

Tawny tilted her head, staring at him oddly. "Hey, it's only me," she said to him. "Are you okay?"

Did she just wake him up?

"…I'm fine," the jackal snarled, managing to calm himself a little. "I was just resting. There was no need to awaken me."

"You sure about that?" Tawny questioned, her eyebrow ridge raising. "You were shaking and freaking out, and now you're crying."

Wait. What?

Infinite felt his own cheeks. His fur had dried off now, but his cheeks were damp. Then, when he blinked hard, he felt more tears drip from his eyes.

She was right.

He was crying.

The jackal clenched his teeth together and turned away so that she couldn't see him. This was why Shadow had called him weak. This is why this natural face of his was considered weak.

Because he cried.

Tawny knelt down beside him, putting a hand on his shoulder, only for him to jerk it away.

"Don't touch me!" he hissed with venom, shooting her a deadly stare. Tawny didn't look at all shocked or threatened. Normally a defensive snap and glare was enough to get anyone away from him, but Tawny wasn't convinced.

Then again, nobody had ever seen him in such a state.

"I get it," the coyote-hybrid muttered.

No, she didn't.

"You've lost something," Tawny analysed. "I've met others like you. I know what people look like when they lose something dear to them."

He felt a twitch in his head.

"I wish I could say something like 'Hey, I've lost something, too' to make you feel better, but I haven't," Tawny said honestly. "Then again, I'm pretty sure loss is something you can't exactly compare to other cases. Each case is different."

"You know nothing," Infinite spat. "Loss… Do you honestly think I grieve like those other fools do? I'm not like them. I'm not… weak."

He was not weak.

"Wait, who said that was weak?" Tawny asked him. "You must have some terrible connections."

"I don't need connections to tell me what's weak," Infinite growled back at her. "I know what weakness is. I've been face-to-face with the weak. I've seen the look of fear and pain in their eyes. I've watched them cry their own tears."

"Dark," Tawny mumbled. "…Hold on, who are you even talking about?"

…The Resistance. And civilians.

Infinite turned his back on her. "Stop asking questions," he snarled. "I've lost no one. I am not weak enough to grieve."

"Then why are you crying?" Tawny pushed.

Pushing him was going to be a mistake if she continued.

"I'm not," he corrected.

"Zero," the hybrid pressed on. "Whatever you're freaking out about, it really doesn't make you weak."

How could she even say those words with such confidence? She must have been weak herself.

…Then again, she did do better than him in the fight against Metal Infinite.

"Just stop talking," the jackal demanded in a warning tone, "or I'll make you wish you had never been born."

"Are you seriously trying to intimidate me when I'm making sure you're okay?" Tawny reacted, clearly not amused.

Oh, he wasn't just trying. He was going to prove a point.

"I told you to STOP!" he barked, turning around suddenly and attempting to strike her across the face. Anything to shut her up.

But she caught his wrists.

Infinite stared with an unhinged expression of disbelief and anger as Tawny merely stared back at him, but she was struggling to keep him pushed back. The jackal grinned a little as he realised that maybe his strength was returning to him. He could put this hybrid in her place. He could drag her out and hand her over to Wolf Squad. He could ransack her home after getting rid of her

…But he didn't want to.

He did not want to hurt her.

His hesitation was obvious, and Tawny used it to her advantage, managing to shove him back. Infinite stumbled over, but remained in shock. Why would he hesitate?

"Look, I get that something's bothering you, but don't take it out on me," Tawny warned him. "I'll listen. I'll talk about it. But I won't be pushed around because you can't face whatever it is."

What did she mean by that? How would she know anything about what he could and couldn't do? He could face that past of his. It wasn't a problem to him at all.

…But it was bothering him. It was making him cry, and he didn't even know it. It was making him toss and turn in his sleep. He muttered to himself in his sleep.

Was she right? Could he really not face his past?

…He didn't want to be weak.

What did that even mean? To be weak? Was this weakness? Was giving into his own emotions, that he hid behind that mask for so long, weakness? Or was hiding from them the true meaning of weakness?

Tawny tilted her head when seeing that Infinite was barely even responding to anything at this point. Something had definitely bothered him, and the tears were still there to prove it.

The coyote-hybrid picked up the towel which Infinite had left on the floor, using it to wipe his tears away. He would have slapped her hand away, but he didn't. What was the point?

Instead he just looked away from her, refusing to face her even when she pulled the towel away. To get his attention, Tawny nudged his arm gently.

"Dude," she began, finally getting him to glance at her defensively. "It's okay to get upset about things from time to time. It's only natural."

Natural, was it? Or was that just an excuse?

"I'm gonna get some shut-eye," Tawny announced blandly, now standing up and facing away from the jackal. "You can stay here, if you want. I don't mind."

He knew that she was bothered by the way he was acting. It was making her see him different. She was treating him differently. Everything about her was different now.

 _Weakness._

Infinite silently watched as she left the living room, leaving him alone by the fireplace.

There was no harm in staying here.

It was comfortable.

Things would be different tomorrow. He would have recovered by then. He would be better. Stronger.

 **~End of Chapter~**


	6. The Legendary Thief

**~The Legendary Thief~**

When the sun finally started to rise, Infinite immediately awoke. Thankfully he had no nightmares this time. It looked as if Tawny was still sleeping, so he decided to go outside for some fresh air, along with some peace and quiet.

Nobody was out in the streets, for it was too early. Perhaps a few soldiers were on patrol, but even they seemed aware of how quiet the environment currently was.

It wouldn't be safe to go back to Green Hill. Wolf Squad would likely be there, and he also had no desire to bump into Sonic again. The jackal thought that perhaps it was best to just find somewhere quiet in the city so that he could spend some time alone without being disturbed.

A park. Yes. A park would be perfect. The one he had come across had been cleaned up, unlike other areas of the city which were still damaged. Nobody was there, either, with it being early in the morning, so he decided to sit on a bench and just relax.

All he could hear was the sound of birds singing in the trees, and maybe the very distant voices of soldiers working to clear up the city. Other than that, it was completely quiet.

Peaceful.

Peaceful enough for him to just close his eyes and drink in the faint sounds…

Loud footsteps.

Infinite's ear twitched and his eyes reopened.

Someone was running.

He spotted a dark brown jackal running through the streets, leaping over obstacles whenever necessary.

Definitely someone who was guilty of committing a crime.

Infinite didn't really want to get involved with whatever was going on, but then he remembered something he overheard yesterday.

" _You don't suppose it's Ridge, do you?"_

Ridge.

" _He saved my life from those guys back when I wasn't as experienced as I am now. I dunno why…"_

Ridge the Jackal. The lone thief. He was someone known by both Wolf Squad and Tawny. Maybe going after him would supply Infinite with interest again – a goal to pursue. He needed to learn more about this guy for the sake of his own sanity - or whatever was left of it, at least.

Infinite was going to put this guy in his place. If anyone was going to be an infamous jackal criminal, it would be him, whether he was Infinite the masked monster or Zero the ultimate mercenary.

Without thinking for much longer, Infinite leapt from the bench and sprinted through the park, vaulting over the barred fence with ease. This is what it felt like. This is what natural strength felt like. It was all coming back to him – muscle memory. This was what he would do when chasing down targets with his squad.

Only his squad wasn't here this time.

Infinite ran through the streets as fast as he could, feeling himself getting out of breath. No. Not this time. He was going to get his strength back – his _real_ strength. He bounced over the telescopic posts beside the main roads and grinded along the bridge rails, jumping off before he could fall into anything which would slow him down. Nothing was getting in his way. Nothing.

The brown jackal noticed that he had a pursuer, and simply grinned and laughed to himself. "Heh heh, you're a new one!" he said loudly. "I like your spirit, kid, but you don't have what it takes to keep up with someone like me!"

Oh, he had no idea.

Infinite wasn't going to respond to Ridge's banter, instead keeping his focus on running and getting past obstacles as fast as he could. His mismatched eyes never once left Ridge as he chased the older jackal through the streets, but then his prey held out his wrist and launched a grappling hook, using it to zip up onto the rooftop of one of the many buildings.

"How's this for a little challenge, boy?" Ridge cackled as he jumped from roof to roof. "Wanna give up yet?"

Ridge's words would not get to Infinite. They would not distract him. If anything, Ridge was only slowing himself down; he'd have to jump down from those buildings when no more appeared ahead, and his pace was already slowed by his jumping. Infinite could still catch him.

The older jackal could see that Infinite was keeping up with his pace, if not going even faster, so grinned to himself and jumped from the rooftops, aiming to land on his opponent. Infinite didn't predict the move but managed to react quick enough, choosing to backflip out of the way. Now Ridge was back on his level, and Infinite wasn't going to let him get away again.

Infinite pounced on Ridge before he could start running again, and he managed to pin him down on his front by straddling his back and pressing one hand behind his head. Ridge struggled for a moment but was quick to give up, then giving Infinite a calm grin.

"Didn't think you had such quick reflexes," he told the winning challenger. "Shouldn't've underestimated you. So, what now? You gonna drag me to the authorities, mug me, drag me back to some gang you're a part of or are you just gonna kill me?" The way he spoke made him sound uninterested, like he had been in these situations before. He obviously had an escape plan.

"I know you have enemies who despise you," Infinite told his prey. "You're not very popular with Wolf Squad, are you?"

The question seemed to catch Ridge off guard, but then he just laughed to himself. "So, it was them who sent you," he deduced. "I should've known; it's about time they learned that they're not good enough to catch me."

"I don't work for them," Infinite corrected, pressing Ridge's face further into the concrete and causing him to wince slightly. "They were once enemies of mine, too. I was simply curious."

"Curious?" Ridge repeated, trying to look back at the younger jackal. Infinite nodded slowly with a dark look evident in his eyes.

"You seem to be well-known," he continued, "yet I have never heard of you until now. Why is that?"

"You tell me," Ridge countered with a smug smile. "I thought you'd know a famous member of your kind."

"I have bigger problems to be dealing with," Infinite stated. "I don't spend my time looking into and admiring the lives of others."

"There's a lesson you need to learn, then," Ridge chuckled, then suddenly rolling over and holding Infinite into the ground, pinning him on his back. Infinite snarled and tried to wrestle him off, but the older jackal was surprisingly strong. That's when Ridge cocked his head to the side, as if examining Infinite's face. "I've seen you before…" he said. Then it came to him. "I know you… Ain't you friends with Tawny?"

He knew her by name.

"You would have to be using the term "friends" _very_ lightly," Infinite growled, still trying to get himself free. Then he stopped struggling. Even though he was aware of Ridge's past interaction with Tawny, which must have occurred years ago, it was surprising to hear that he knew of her more recent actions. "…Why are you following her?" he decided to question.

"I just wanna make sure she's safe," Ridge shrugged. "But she's grown up a lot now. I don't think she needs someone to protect her anymore."

What was he even talking about?

…He sounded like a guardian when he spoke. Someone who cared for a loved one.

Ridge could see the confusion in Infinite's eyes, but chose to grin in a cocky manner. "Well, kid, this little chase was fun and all, but I've gotta leave," he said to the younger individual. "You can bet I'll be keeping my eye on you, though…" He leaned closer, and his laid-back expression became one of intimidation. "Anyone who hurts Tawny has me to deal with." His smile returned to his face and he gave Infinite a condescending pat on the cheek before quickly getting up and sprinting away. Infinite decided not to give chase this time and instead watched as Ridge travelled further and further away.

How odd. What was all of that even about? The way Ridge spoke… He sounded like he was really protective over Tawny. Was he a childhood friend? …No, he seemed too old for that. A family friend? Maybe. A relative? Unlikely. Ridge was a jackal, while Tawny was a coyote…

Hybrid.

His eyes widened slightly.

" _I never knew my father, and my mother never told me what species he was. I just heard that I've grown up to be a lot like him. I like to think he was a wolf. Wolves are awesome."_

" _They don't have stripes."_

Infinite turned and started walking back in the direction of Tawny's little house. What was he going to say to her? It wasn't his business, but it was something that was now on his mind. It was something he had figured out. It was something he knew. He saw the stripes on Ridge's back, watched how he acted and listened to those protective words only a parent would say.

Ridge, without a doubt, was Tawny's father.

So why wasn't he showing himself to her?

That part was harder to work out, so Infinite didn't focus on it for now. It was difficult enough for him to process the fact that annoying little Tawny was half jackal. He silently wondered how much a coyote-jackal hybrid was worth…

When finally arriving at Tawny's house, Infinite made his way inside and immediately looked through every single room so that he could find her. If she wasn't awake yet, then he would get her up as payback for the two times she disturbed his own sleep.

Well, perhaps the second time was more reasonable, considering that the weak always tried to help those they felt were in pain or distress.

The black jackal had no need to check her bedroom, for he found her in her small kitchen where she sat eating some freshly-made porridge. Her hair wasn't tied back in a ponytail and she wore neither a vest, shorts, shoes or gloves. It was very likely that she had just awoken, so she would have been planning to eat breakfast before getting changed into her gear. After all, it was safe for her to have her stripes on show when in her own home.

Tawny definitely hadn't noticed Infinite, probably because her "strong sense of smell" was focused on her porridge. The scar-faced jackal smirked a little to himself. Why not give her a scare, just to make himself feel like a terrifying threat for a brief moment?

"Your door was open, mongrel," he snapped loudly, making his voice slightly gruffer. Tawny jolted and jumped right out of her stool, falling hard onto her back. She immediately flipped over and held up her spoon as if prepared to use it as a weapon, her eyes full of some psychotic fear, but the expression shifted from confusion to relief to anger in the space of about two seconds.

"In the name of the seven Chaos Emeralds!" she exclaimed, her hand on her chest as she felt her own heart racing. "Zero, what are you playing at?!"

"It was a perfect opportunity," Infinite commented as he shrugged his shoulders. Tawny grabbed onto her stool and pulled herself up, her blue eyes glaring in Infinite's direction.

"You've got a real twisted sense of humour, dude," she grumbled. "If you do that again, I'll blind your other eye."

"I'm not blind," Infinite corrected.

"You look it," Tawny muttered under her breath.

"And you look like a dog hybrid begging to be targeted by mercenaries, bounty hunters and other lawless individuals," Infinite countered.

"This is my home," Tawny reminded him. "I'm not usually expecting people to creep up on me like that in a morning."

"A home is not a fortress," Infinite said to her, wandering further into the kitchen as Tawny continued to wolf down her porridge. "Now then, are you in any state of mind to handle some information which may change your life?" Tawny raised a brow.

"Okay, you're already freaking me out," she murmured slowly, looking as though she were suspicious of her house guest. "What have you done? Don't tell me you've killed someone or something…"

"This is not to do with me, but with you," Infinite revealed, folding his arms as his tail slowly swished from side to side.

"What, am I a criminal with a higher bounty on my head now or something?" Tawny questioned. "Are those wolves in the city?" Infinite shook his head slowly.

"I encountered Ridge this morning," he began. "He looked as if he had most likely stolen from somewhere, so I gave chase and started to ask him some questions about who he was and why I didn't know him."

"Oh, man, I bet you were disappointed," Tawny mumbled, eating some more of her porridge. "He's really just some lonely old thief, Zero."

"I'm not saying I was impressed by him," Infinite continued, "and I was not disappointed, either. While he did not say anything directly, I was able to discover something about him which I doubt you know." Tawny gave him an odd stare again, slowly putting her spoon back into her bowl.

"…What?" she asked, unable to stand the suspense for much longer. Infinite actually smirked.

"You're part jackal," he revealed, "and you have him to thank for it."

Time to wait for the coyote-hybrid to let that information sink in. This should be really interesting.

Tawny's eyes slowly went from Infinite to her bowl and then her lap, and then back again. Then she stared at the jackal before slowly tilting her head and narrowing her eyes.

"Hold on…" she began, her words almost slurring with how slow she was speaking. "Are you saying that… you believe Ridge is my father?" Infinite nodded, prompting Tawny to look around strangely again. Seeing her struggle mentally was somewhat entertaining to Infinite, and by no means was he impatient with her. The longer she tried to process this information, the longer he got to enjoy feeling like he had some kind of power again.

After some time, Tawny hopped off her stool and began heading out of the kitchen. Processing. She was still processing this new information. It was amusing to watch.

…Until Infinite got dragged into it.

Literally.

Tawny had grabbed him by his wrist as she walked past him, pulling him through the house and to her room where a large full-length mirror was placed on the back of her bedroom door. She grabbed Infinite's shoulders and turned him around so that his back faced the mirror, then standing beside him.

"What are you doing?" Infinite asked, a frown now on his face with that irritable tone back in his words.

"You're a jackal, too," she pointed out as she looked over her shoulder, doing her best to stare at the reflection. "Your stripes must be similar to mine."

Infinite frowned and looked over his own shoulder, managing to see both his own back and Tawny's. She had a point – his stripes were very similar to hers.

"…Huh," Tawny reacted, then turning around and looking at Infinite, watching as he turned to face her. "I dunno why I never thought about looking at your stripes. Guess it was never a top priority of mine, but that's interesting to notice." She then grinned her usual cheesy and all-too-happy smile. "We could be related!"

"We're not," Infinite assured, his tall ears flopping. "I know my relatives."

"You sure Ridge wasn't your dad, too?" Tawny smirked, nudging Infinite with her elbow. "He sounds like he's been around. I can't be his only kid."

"He's most definitely not my father," Infinite confirmed. He knew his original father, and Ridge wasn't him – for a start, his father was black-furred much alike himself. Ridge's fur was dark brown.

"How are you certain that he's mine?" Tawny questioned, tilting her head. "Did he specifically tell you?"

"No," Infinite answered. "He claimed to have seen me and you together. Let's just say he spoke in a way which resembled a protective father; he said he had watched you grow up. He wanted you to be safe."

"So, because he's looking out for me, you think he's my father?" Tawny reiterated. She wasn't entirely convinced.

"I know what a protective and _loving_ father looks like," Infinite explained, finding it difficult to say such nice words. "I've seen many fathers who would give their own lives for their children. He shows all the signs of being a protective parent."

"Yet he hasn't come to speak to me?" Tawny asked. "Ever? Some father."

There must have been a reason for that. Why would Ridge abandon Tawny but try to protect her from threats she could not deal with?

…Safety.

Of course it was safety.

Everyone already knew that Tawny was a coyote, partially due to the fact that her mother was well-known but mostly because her appearance gave away the fact that she was coyote, so being seen with a jackal father wouldn't be good for her at all.

"A coyote-jackal hybrid is a rarity," Infinite chose to say. "You would have been targeted. Not only that, but you were the child of what you call an infamous thief. If I were to take a guess, I believe I would be right in saying that he wanted to keep you safe."

"Wow, do you have kids somewhere or something?" Tawny asked. Infinite just scowled at her, his arms folding tightly.

"I'm merely observant," he corrected. Tawny just sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Well, this is weird," she admitted. "I dunno why I didn't think much of it myself. Ridge saved me when I was younger back when those wolves almost had me, he disappeared before I could even speak to him, he was never there in my childhood, I'm a canine hybrid with white stripes… Man, I'm so stupid for not noticing anything." Infinite nodded his head. She was right, after all. It was stupid of her to not see something so obvious.

Tawny stared at herself in the mirror for a moment before looking back at Infinite. "I guess this is the part where I'm supposed to go looking for him, huh?" she said. Infinite shrugged.

"Why bother?" he asked her. "He gave up on you."

"…You're right," Tawny nodded in agreement. "He's too busy being some old thief who causes trouble. If I knew I had a kid, I'd let 'em know that they had an awesome mom."

"Or you'd risk letting them become a higher target," Infinite added blatantly. "Wolf Squad already want to kill you just because of who you are. Just imagine what they would put you through if they found out you were not only a coyote-jackal hybrid, but the offspring of one of their enemies."

Tawny rubbed her chin in thought. "Hmm… You've got a point…" she agreed quietly. "I wouldn't want my kids to make more enemies because of me." She looked at Infinite, almost looking sad. "So… should I just pretend that I don't know this?"

"Yes," Infinite answered firmly. "Perhaps when Wolf Squad are no longer a problem for you, or when you encounter Ridge in the future, then you could query the situation. It's unwise to pursue it, though."

"If you say so, soldier boy," Tawny sighed with a shrug, then forcing herself to grin her usual grin. "Well, if you don't mind, I'm going to get dressed in here."

Infinite immediately got the hint to leave, nodding his head before walking out of the room and returning downstairs into the living room where he had initially slept by the fire. Why was he waiting for Tawny again? Because there was nothing better to do? Was that it?

…He really had to find something else to do with his life.

 **~End of Chapter~**


	7. A Day to Relax

**~A Day to Relax~**

With Tawny now dressed, the duo walked out of the house side-by-side. Infinite actually allowed his eyes to wander, just in case Ridge was still in the area. It seemed that the older jackal had definitely left the area.

"So, how much do you think I'm worth?" Tawny piped up. Infinite couldn't stop his ears from flopping downwards as he frowned.

"Why?" he asked. He wasn't asking that to sound like he actually wanted to know a reason; instead he sounded like he was asking whatever higher powers of the world why the female canine had to speak to him regarding this subject at this very moment in time.

"You must know a thing or two," Tawny shrugged.

He knew some things, with him being an ex-mercenary, but he wasn't going to give himself away.

"You're the bounty hunter," he reminded her. "You should be the one educated in this field." He was merely a former Resistance soldier, after all.

"I've never been paid to go after a coyote-jackal," Tawny told him. "Don't think I've chased down many hybrids at all, really."

Out of sympathy, no doubt.

"Then it is a mystery to us both," Infinite finalised. "It would be wise for you to keep this information to yourself, or else you will definitely be viewed as a valuable target."

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be fine," Tawny responded, waving her hand passively. "I'm more worried about you telling people. …Then again, nobody really talks to you." Infinite narrowed his eyes at her, but he said nothing as the two continued on with their walk.

"…Where are we going?" he eventually asked some minutes later.

"We're just walking around the city," Tawny answered simply. "Y'know, seeing if there are anymore jobs available while also checking on the clean-up progress."

Dull. Dull, dull, dull.

Everything was always so dull, but there was never anything better to do. Not anymore.

"Although, we could just take a day off," Tawny continued, catching Infinite's attention only slightly.

"And what would be the point in doing that?" Infinite questioned. He was already bored and unmotivated; taking a day off would just bore him even further.

"Man, you focus too much on keeping on your feet," Tawny pointed out, "but at the same time you pass out after walking for five minutes. You're a really strange guy."

"I don't see any point in doing nothing," Infinite defended. Without something to do, he would definitely go insane.

Tawny simply chuckled at his remark. "We won't be doing nothing, silly!" she let him know. "We'll be spending time together! Talking, telling funny stories, maybe sitting down and getting a drink or some food…"

How dull.

"Why would we tell each other funny stories?" he asked.

"Because we've just been through a war and we all wanna cheer up a little?" Tawny guessed. "I could tell you some hilarious stories about Wolf Squad and how I've owned them in the past! Or I could tell you about the many times I annoyed Eggman while working for him, or Fang the Sniper. Funny stories are just the best!" The hybrid then looked thoughtful. "Hold on… I get that you're all moody now because you were a soldier who lost his squad, but did you guys… never sit and laugh together?"

He would be lying if he said no, but he wouldn't exactly be telling the truth if he said yes. Even his squad members used to point out how serious he used to be. Whenever they were sat around a fire, camping for the night, they would sit and tell stories. Striker and Barrett would barely ever shut up. Null and Blank would add something in every now and then, quietly laughing at what the other two were saying. Anubis was always quiet, but he'd sometimes join in with a smile on his face. And Kali…

" _Zero, come and sit with us," she would say as everyone sat together. She would look back at him as he sat away from the warm light emitting from the fire. He would always be looking out for danger, worried for ambushes._

 _Kali would leave the others to talk, letting them know that she was going to talk to the boss. "Zero, nothing's gonna get us," she would assure him. "This area is secure. Anubis and Blank both did perimeter checks and left little warnings for those who may pass through. Just come and sit with us – Striker's telling another story about how we humiliated Fox Squad."_

" _I'm not interested," Zero would say in response, keeping his eyes focused ahead of himself. Kali would sigh and rub his upper arm reassuringly._

" _You should stop being so tense all the time," she'd tell him. "We're not gonna think you're some weak leader if you sit and smile with us every once in a while. We're like a family; we can just be ourselves around each other."_

" _Being a leader is different," Zero would counter, facing Kali so that he could make the conversation seem more personal rather than one of a subordinate approaching a boss. "A leader can never show weakness. If we had spies, they would use anything against me – even your lives."_

" _You think we'd be held hostage that easily?" Kali would ask him. "We're the top dogs, Zero. Literally. Fox Squad is predictable and easy to handle, despite their numbers, and Wolf Squad is full of idiots who barely plan ahead. And don't even get me started on Dingo Squad…"_

" _Many want us dead, Kali," Zero would remind her. "They'd kill all of you and break me if they had the chance. The leader is always the highest target who must suffer the most."_

" _Well, you won't," Kali would comfort. "We'd never let that happen."_

"… _I don't want it to happen," Zero would admit, with his face becoming softer. "I would have to stay strong if any one of you was killed, and if I lost you… I doubt it would be easy for me to carry on."_

" _You're not losing me, big guy," Kali would smile, patting his back. "Now come on, just sit with us for a bit. Otherwise I'll start telling the guys about the time you tried to threaten Fox Squad's leader when you left your sword at camp."_

 _Kali would laugh and quickly run back to the others, and Zero's eyes would widen as he followed her. That was not a story he was going to hear again._

"Dude? You in there?" Tawny asked, waving her hand in front of his face to snap him out of his trance while continuing to walk. Infinite shook his head and stared at her, having forgotten what she had initially asked him to trigger such a flashback, but then he remembered.

"…They talked more than I did," he answered honestly. "As a leader I was often too concerned with outside threats. I never wanted to be seen as weak."

He still never wanted to be seen as weak.

"Sounds about right," Tawny shrugged. "You seem naturally moody." Infinite just narrowed his eyes, prompting Tawny to laugh as she rubbed his back playfully. "I'm just kidding! You're actually kinda cool."

Cool? Already he had heard that compliment from Ace. Why was Tawny now associating him with that word?

"How am I cool?" Infinite asked in an uninterested tone.

"Y'know, you're quiet and tough," Tawny described. "A bit like Shadow."

 _Shadow._

"Don't compare me to that artificial sewer rat," the jackal hissed dangerously, giving Tawny a warning stare. Tawny simply put up her hands as if surrendering.

"Alright, alright, geez," she reacted. "Anyone else who you don't wanna be compared to?"

"I'd rather not be compared to anybody," Infinite clarified, able to calm himself down while remaining mildly tense. "I'm just me."

"See? That's what makes you so cool!" Tawny chirped. "You don't even want to be like anyone else!"

Infinite just let out an irritated sigh. Compliments really weren't his thing, whether he was receiving them or giving them.

Tawny then tapped his arm excitably. "Hey! That part of the city up ahead has been completely restored!" she pointed. Infinite looked ahead and saw that she was right. In a way, it was nice to see that there was a place where he could do stuff, but at the same time he realised that all of his hard work was being undone right before his non-identical eyes.

"Alright, pal, let's go!" Tawny exclaimed happily, grabbing Infinite by the forearm. She pulled him along as she ran, much to his annoyance, and led him to the restored area of the city. It was only a small section, but people were walking around happily. Still tense, of course, but they all seemed relieved that things were going back to normal.

Also: pal? That was a little… random.

As Tawny slowed down, Infinite pulled his arm free. He shot her a threatening glare but said nothing, then choosing to glance around at his surroundings. There were times when he would wander through cities like this long ago – long before he dreamed of seeing a devastated world.

"There's a cute little ice-cream parlour open over there," Tawny announced, pointing towards the popular spot. "You've gotta like ice-cream, right?"

"I eat food to survive," was all Infinite said. His taste had faded over time, since he had to train himself to eat some of the worst nutrients in existence, but deep down he was intrigued. Ice-cream was popular, so it must have been nice.

"We're getting ice-cream, then," Tawny decided. "Come on!" To his delight, Tawny didn't grab him by the wrist, so Infinite followed using the power of his own free will. However, he was beginning to feel a little aware of his own presence. Lots of people were here. What if someone recognised him?

The pair stood in line, with Infinite standing with his arms folded and head down. Then again, perhaps hiding his face wasn't the best move, so he lifted it up high. It was likely that his body would be recognised more than his visage, so he had to make sure people saw the face which didn't belong to Infinite.

"You okay?" Tawny asked, then causing the jackal to face her. "You look a little twitchy."

"I'm not one who enjoys crowds," Infinite replied. Tawny laughed quietly.

"Nobody's gonna pay attention to ya," she said. "That's why I like crowds. You can hide in them easily."

"It depends," Infinite corrected, glancing around.

"Geez, you're acting like the world's your enemy or something," Tawny analysed. "Relax, already, will you?"

Relax. Infinite could not just 'relax'.

The two now stood close enough to the display, where Tawny examined each different tub of ice-cream. "Ooh, which flavour should I pick?" she asked herself, then looking up at Infinite. "Do you know which one you want?"

Infinite stared silently at the ice-cream. No. He had no idea which one he wanted. What was the difference between them all, anyway? They were just different colours.

"I think I'm gonna get caramel," Tawny decided. "You?"

"I don't know," Infinite shrugged.

"Well, you'd better hurry up and pick one; it's almost our turn to order," Tawny said impatiently. Infinite sighed and waved his hand in a dismissive manner.

"Choose for me," he instructed.

"Alright, suit yourself," Tawny responded. She then stepped up to the counter. "Two caramel ice-creams, please!"

Could she not have at least chosen a different flavour for him?

Infinite just walked outside of the parlour to wait, not wanting to awkwardly stand with Tawny while she paid or look like someone who was actually close to her. Thankfully it wasn't long before Tawny walked out as well, handing him his ice-cream cone.

"One ice-cream for you, good sir," she said in a playful voice. Infinite just stared at the cold food item, unsure of how to actually eat it. He chose to do what he did with most other items of food: bite it.

 _Instant. Regret._

Infinite's face scrunched up as he shivered and twitched, his tail standing straight as he cringed. He couldn't hold himself back from making some strange growling noise, either.

Tawny noticed the reaction and couldn't hold back her laughter. "Did you just bite into it?" she asked him. "It's ice-cream, Zero! There's a clue in the name: it's cold!"

"How else are you supposed to eat it?!" Infinite snapped after managing to recover.

"You lick it!" Tawny laughed. "But try not to take in too much, otherwise you'll get brain-freeze again."

"No wonder I've never eaten this before…" the jackal snarled. Was he really supposed to lick it like some savage animal? He'd look ridiculous.

Still, he gave it a go. Tawny watched him to see what his new reaction would be, and that just put him under more pressure to not look like an idiot. But, much to his surprise, it wasn't so bad now.

"Is that better?" Tawny asked, almost sounding like she was coming across as condescending to mock him. Infinite just frowned at her, turning his back to her so that he could eat in peace – a reaction which only made Tawny chuckle.

Infinite then reached the cone, then realising that he no longer needed to lick like some toothless child, so he bit into it once again. That was much better. He preferred anything with a crunch to it.

Tawny was simply savouring the flavour of her own ice-cream, eating it at a much slower pace. She watched Infinite oddly. "You eat ice-cream way too fast," she noted. He just narrowed his eyes at her.

"I wasn't aware that food had rules," he growled, deciding to start walking again. He really wanted to go somewhere with less people.

The coyote-jackal jogged after him, still eating her own ice-cream. "Where are you going?" she asked.

"I don't like crowds," Infinite repeated.

"There aren't that many people here," Tawny pointed out, gesturing to the surrounding area. She did have a point. "What's your deal? You seem to really hate a lot of things."

"I doubt you would want to know," Infinite stated. Tawny pouted playfully.

"You think I'm really gonna judge?" she asked him. "I bet I could freak you out quicker than you could freak me out."

Oh, she could try.

Infinite stopped walking, keeping his head bowed slightly while his eyes were still on the girl. "Do you _really_ wish to know?" he asked. Tawny stared at him weirdly, feeling like the tone of the conversation had shifted to be more serious.

"I mean, as long as you're not gonna kill me for knowing too much information or something," the girl murmured, now too concerned to even keep eating her ice-cream. Infinite gazed at her intensely to read her facial expression before glancing around to make sure nobody was too close, then finally leaning in a little.

"I was never a soldier," he revealed quietly. "I was a mercenary."

"Mercenary?" Tawny repeated. Infinite slapped a hand over her mouth.

"If you let anyone else hear that, I'll spread the word that you're a coyote-jackal hybrid," he warned. This felt good: blackmailing. He could tell Tawny something he was trying to hide because he knew that she was hiding something, too.

Tawny pushed his hand off and frowned. "Not cool," she reacted before smirking. "Then again, I wouldn't trust me with a secret, either. I've told you before: my loyalties lie nowhere."

"That's why I'm threatening to tell yours if you tell mine," Infinite clarified through clenched teeth.

"Smart move," Tawny grinned. "So, is that all you're gonna say, or are you gonna actually tell me about your past?"

Did she deserve to know? Of course not.

Was he going to tell her? …Yes. Just a little bit.

Why?

Because it would be interesting to have someone around who knew his past.

"I'll discuss more in a less-populated area," he answered.

"Back to the house, then?" Tawny offered.

"That would be best," Infinite stated.

"Yeah, but if you try killing me or something, I'll kick your butt," Tawny threatened.

Not to mention Ridge would also come after him.

"I wouldn't tell you my past and then kill you," Infinite assured her, rolling his eyes. "This is merely a trade. I know about you, so you shall know about me. After all, I believe our heads lie in similar ideological clouds."

"Fine, then, back to the house it is," Tawny announced, turning on her heel after finishing her ice-cream. Thus, the pair began to head back to Tawny's house.

Yes. This should be fun. Keeping a secret was boring. Sure, it was for his own safety, but like he cared about that at this point. Besides, he could trust that Tawny wouldn't spread the word if she valued her own life.

He could… trust her?

He… wanted to tell her about his past?

…Isn't that how friends felt towards each other?

…No. Tawny was not his friend. He would kill her if he had to.

…But why would he have to? He had no power anymore. His power was in a different dimension. By killing Tawny, he would be…

Alone.

Eggman didn't want him. His squad was dead. Everyone hated him, whether they knew him as Zero or Infinite.

Oh dear.

Infinite made a friend.

He _really_ must be suffering if he's making an effort to make friends.

The duo arrived back at the house, where Infinite chose to confidently sit upon the living room sofa.

"I'll make some tea," Tawny planned. "I bet your brain's still frozen from that ice-cream you bit into like an idiot."

Infinite's smug expression became a frown, but he nodded his head. Tea sounded decent.

…Wait, wasn't tea a social drink?

Was she making this a social event?!

Tawny disappeared to go and boil the kettle and get the cups ready. "Sugar?" she called from the kitchen.

Really?

"What did you just call me, mongrel?" the jackal snapped irritably. _How dare she._

Tawny peeped her head through the door and into the living room. "No, I'm asking if you take sugar," she corrected.

Oh.

 _Oh._

"…No," Infinite answered. "And I most certainly never have it with milk." If he and his squad ever brewed tea together, they never had access to milk and sugar.

"You're so weird," Tawny mumbled before chuckling to herself. "Can't believe you thought I was calling you 'Sugar'…" Not giving Infinite the chance to snap back at her, Tawny zipped back into the kitchen.

Infinite tapped his fingers on the top of the sofa as he glanced around, bored. He could hear Tawny whistling in the kitchen. Was she just being casual, or was she nervous? After all, she was going to be hearing that the 'old military' jackal was actually a mercenary with an unpleasant past.

Tawny eventually entered the room, placing the two cups down onto the coffee table. "Mine's the normal one, yours is the black water," she informed.

"Hmph," Infinite responded as Tawny sat beside him. She was sitting casually and didn't look at all tense.

"So, what's the deal?" she interrogated. "Who are you really, Zero?"

Oh, she wasn't allowed to know _that_ much.

"Like I said before, I was once a mercenary," Infinite explained. "Although, everything else about my past which I have already revealed to you is true. I did lose my squad and I did fight in the war."

"…Is that it?" Tawny queried. "Sounds like you're hiding a lot more."

She was definitely difficult to impress. Or, in this case, intimidate.

"Ask specific questions and maybe I'll answer," Infinite said to her, reaching down for his tea and holding it close to his muzzle, blowing on it so that it wouldn't burn his tongue when he drank from the cup.

"Hm…" Tawny responded in a thoughtful tone as she rubbed her chin. She had to ask the right questions in this situation. "Alright then, Zero, who have you worked for in the past?"

"My squad and I worked for many," Infinite told her. "Often we would work alone, but our final employer was Doctor Eggman." He gave her an intense glare, as if studying her for a reaction.

"What made you give up on him?" Tawny queried.

"I didn't," Infinite revealed. "He gave up on me." That was true.

"So, like me, then?" Tawny asked with hopeful eyes. "We're both outlaws who were cast aside by Eggman?" Infinite nodded.

"You might not be so happy to discover that it was my squad which made you irrelevant," the jackal continued. "We were hired before the war to defend a secret facility. We demanded high pay."

He was smirking to himself. How far could he go with this? How much could he let her know without feeling worried about being discovered?

Tawny stared almost in disbelief. "It was you?!" she gasped. "Darn it, Zero, that wasn't fun!"

No way was he going to apologise. This was all just so much fun. Tawny must have felt beneath him now that she had discovered such information.

"So, how did it go?"

…Infinite heard the question and let his smirk fade away.

It didn't go well at all…

Without even realising it, Infinite had started shaking a little. He remembered watching Striker fall. He remembered trying to save Kali before being knocked unconscious. He remembered waking up and finding every last squad member lying on the ground.

Dead.

Tawny saw this reaction and knew not to ask any further questions. This was what was bothering him. When she awoke him from that nap he was having, he must have been dreaming about whatever happened when guarding that facility.

The coyote-jackal shuffled closer to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. He jerked it away and glared at her, furious that this had happened again. This was supposed to be a time of him being powerful. He was supposed to be on top. He was the threat. He was a terror.

…But he was shaking again.

Yet, despite trying to jerk away from her, Tawny didn't seem at all shocked or offended. She seemed like she… really did understand that he was bothered by something.

"…I won't ask any more questions," she assured quietly. "…Still, it's kinda cool to find out that you were the mercenaries who knocked me off the payment list. Small world, am I right?"

Infinite simply nodded his head. "Indeed," he agreed with her. "It is a small world." Puny, in fact. Pathetic.

Tawny put her arm around him and held him closer. "Look, dude, anything you wanna say, I'll listen," she comforted. "I can't judge much. We're both people with questionable loyalties and odd pasts."

Why hadn't he pulled away? He was barely focusing on her words, but instead the fact that her arm was around him. Why was he letting her sit so close like she was his friend?

…Could he really have a friend?

…No! Friends were for weak people like Sonic! He could never have them again!

…Again.

He did have them once.

His squad mates were like his friends and family. And now he had Tawny, who was different from everyone he had been fighting. Where was she throughout the war? Why didn't he get to encounter her then? Would she still be this… open-minded?

…Probably not. He was trying to end the world, after all.

…Friend.

Had he really made a friend?

 **~End of Chapter~**


	8. A Mercenary's Secrets

**~A Mercenary's Secrets~**

He may as well tell her. Not of anything that bothered him, but of the things he did. The things that made him strong.

"Before the doctor hired us, we were a group of pretty terrifying mercenaries," Infinite explained, trying to hide his proud feelings towards his old self and his squad. "Wolf Squad tried to get in our way so many times, but they could never beat us in combat."

"That makes sense," Tawny nodded, reaching for her cup of tea and taking a sip from it. "You did mention something about having a rough past with Wolf Squad. I thought it was some law thing cos you said you were a soldier, but it makes more sense that two mercenary squads would be against each other." Infinite nodded his head.

"Survival of the fittest," he described. "The canine mercenary squads would often cross paths."

"So, there was Wolf Squad, Jackal Squad and…?" Tawny pressed - curious to learn of the others, it seemed.

"Any canine species you can think of," he answered.

"So, there was a Coyote Squad?" Tawny queried, her ears perking.

"My squad never encountered them," Infinite told her. "I suppose they preferred not to challenge those who were much more powerful."

"How powerful was your squad, exactly?" Tawny questioned, once again sipping her tea.

"Very," Infinite answered, unable to hide his smirk. "We may have been a smaller group compared to some of the others, but by no means did we let numbers intimidate us. We were all skilled. We were all responsive. Other squads lacked such synergy."

"I bet you were a better leader than that Scar guy," Tawny chuckled. "He's just bad-tempered."

"He always has been," Infinite agreed, blowing on his tea because it was still hot. "It's what my squad always exploited. Riling him up made him a weaker leader, and ultimately his team would fail and he would be forced to flee with the others." Tawny laughed quietly upon hearing this.

"Man, and I thought I was the only one who thought he was stupid," she commented.

"Everyone I encountered would say the same thing," Infinite pointed out. "But despite the humour of it, it became boring after some time."

"Boring?" Tawny asked, tilting her head.

"Yes," Infinite confirmed. "It all became dull. That is why I accepted the doctor's offer when he hired us. I knew the world would change and become more interesting."

…Maybe that was too much.

"Dark," Tawny reacted, not at all suspicious of Infinite's words.

At least she wasn't too intelligent.

"Well, it's nice to know that you're not some goody-two-shoes soldier like I thought you were," Tawny continued, then grinning. "I don't think I would've let you stick around me this much if you were like those guys."

Seriously? Was she not the least bit threatened?

"You might not want me around when you realise how much blood is on my hands," Infinite warned her. Surely those words would leave her a little unsettled.

"Oh, I forgot, mercenaries get their hands dirtier than us bounty hunters do," Tawny responded, her grin dropping. "You've actually killed people for money. I mean, it must've been more common for you to do that. I only killed for money on rare occasions."

"I killed hybrids," Infinite revealed, watching as Tawny definitely stopped looking relaxed. "I killed them without remorse, and if I didn't kill them, I gave them to someone else who killed them after my squad was paid. It actually became dull, hearing them scream about how wrong it was for us to kill them just because of their rarity. It. Became. Dull."

Infinite's eyes looked like they belonged to a deranged psychopath as he kept them focused on Tawny's expression, waiting to watch her become a cowering mess. She definitely looked a little nervous now, with her eyes wide, but then her facial muscles relaxed.

"You've not killed me yet," she pointed out. Infinite's gaze became a glare.

"I would have done if I still had my squad," he spat.

"Dude, if you wanna kill me and make some money then you can still do it," Tawny pointed out. "You could literally hand me over to Wolf Squad. Why're you trynna act so scary all of a sudden?" The jackal growled and folded his arms, leaning back into the sofa. Tawny actually laughed quietly at his reaction. "You're just trynna scare me," she noticed. "It won't work that easily on me."

"I don't understand," Infinite hissed. "Why aren't you afraid?"

"Because you've missed so many chances to kill me," Tawny answered. "You would've done it already."

"Does it not bother you at all that I've killed innocent people?" Infinite interrogated. "Are you not afraid of me betraying you? Are you not afraid of me doing the same to you as I did to everyone else?"

"I think my chances of beating you in a fight are strong," Tawny estimated. "By the way, while we're on the topic, how much do you think a coyote-jackal is worth?"

Infinite frowned, not liking how casual Tawny seemed to be. "I honestly don't know," he answered, maintaining his response from before. Tawny just nodded her head at his answer.

"A mystery left unsolved," she muttered to herself, then glancing at the black cup of tea in Infinite's grasp. "You've not taken a single sip of that."

"…It's hot," Infinite told her, speaking quietly and almost suspiciously. Tawny chuckled.

"That's why you put milk in it," she informed. "It cools it down."

Infinite just stared at her, then finally took a sip from his still-hot cup of tea, which thankfully wasn't hot enough to burn the inside of his mouth. His dark stare remained on the hybrid beside him, and in response Tawny only chuckled again.

"You really thought you could freak me out, huh?" she asked him. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I've grown up hiding my hybrid side. I grew up with no father figure. I was left to handle my own life from a young age where I had to fight to survive, with no one – not even a friend – to help me. I know what people are capable of no matter what side they're on, and believe me, you're not like the people I've dealt with in the past."

How? How was he not like them? He was once a mercenary, and he could still be considered a cold-blooded killer. He was Infinite, for crying out loud! The masked terror!

Tawny gave yet another grin. "I bet I could freak you out," she declared.

"No," Infinite said flatly. "No, you could not."

She could not.

"You sound like you were loyal to whoever you worked for," Tawny analysed. "You worked for someone, did a job, got the money, and then went on your way. And I'm guessing you were pretty alright with your teammates. Me? Well, working alone doesn't exactly make you aware of the supposed "importance" of loyalty and honesty." She smirked, eyeing the jackal to see his reaction as she continued to speak. "I never cared about anybody, so I'd never have any internal moral conflicts about betraying someone's trust. I could work for someone, but if I found a job with more pay which involved me luring that person into a trap, I'd do it in a heartbeat. If I was ever in danger, I'd ditch whoever was with me just to save my own skin. Would you have done that to your employers or your squad?"

…No, probably not. He hadn't turned his back on Eggman at all since he was employed by him. His squad died because they were protecting Eggman's facility. Infinite was transformed into a weapon by the mad scientist. He even had disagreements with Eggman's methods of world domination, but he still went along with his ideas. The only reason he stopped working for him was because now Eggman had replaced him with a robot and officially fired the ex-mercenary.

"I didn't think so," Tawny then said, taking Infinite's thoughtful silence as a 'no'.

"If you're trying to turn the tables so that I fear you, it isn't working," Infinite stated coolly.

"Guess that makes two of us, then," Tawny smiled, her dark expression fading. "Wow. We really are quite similar."

"No, we're not," Infinite disagreed with a frown. "Betrayal is a form of cowardice. It shows that you cannot fight with pure strength and skill."

"But I still win," Tawny smirked proudly, though her expression then became thoughtful – a look which Infinite picked up on. The hybrid then spoke up again. "Well, I guess now I'm not as bad as I used to be," she confessed. "There was one guy I wouldn't betray, and he sorta taught me that some people… are worth sticking by."

A lover, no doubt. A romantic partner. A boyfriend.

He didn't have to hear about any of that, did he?

Tawny stared at Infinite's tense expression, quietly letting out a small laugh. "I don't think you wanna know about him," she then said. "Your face says you'd rather hear nothing, too."

At least she noticed. Of course he wasn't interested. Why would he be?

…So long as this guy wasn't still around.

…So long as this guy wasn't a threat to him.

…Who even was the guy?

…He wouldn't query it. No doubt Tawny would eventually mention it to him.

The jackal just silently chose to take another sip from his tea, and once again Tawny spoke up.

"Did you ever feel… soft towards any of your opponents?" she queried somewhat slowly. "Target, pursuer, rival… did any of them make you… soft?"

"No," Infinite answered immediately. He didn't feel soft towards anyone outside of his squad.

But he did view targets and enemies differently to how Tawny viewed them.

"The world is a cruel place," Infinite continued to say. "Heroes think that it's possible to achieve peace – to stop conflict. Then there are those like yourself, who clearly become numb to others while hating the world, choosing to accept that it can never be fixed." He sipped his tea as Tawny rolled her eyes, since she did not entirely agree with such an observation, and then the jackal continued on. "My squad embraced the world in its true form. We knew it was cruel. There was no way to survive unless you were strong. But back then, life… was something we respected." He stared at his own reflection in the darkness of his hot drink. "We respected how far some people had lived before our intervention. I remember the faces of everyone I have killed." He shot a glare in Tawny's direction. "I doubt you can remember any of your kills, mongrel."

Tawny shook her head. "Listen," she began quietly. "Back when I first worked for Eggman, I really didn't care who got hurt. I'd stopped caring about people because I was so used to seeing them act so… well, cruel is probably the best way to put it." The coyote-jackal smiled a little to herself as something came to mind. "Then I met… well, a guy. He was another bounty hunter, just like me, but… better. When he took me down in a fight, I thought it was over. I thought my life was going to come to a very slow end. My hybrid secret would be out, some dude would want me to suffer for something I did… I was convinced it was over. But it wasn't. He didn't want to turn me in, even though the pay was good. …He let me go."

There was a small silence as Infinite thought about her words. He saw exactly what she was trying to say: she was defensive all through her life, believing everyone to be an enemy, when she eventually came to understand that some people were nicer. Or, as Infinite preferred to say, weaker.

Then again, Infinite couldn't act so high and mighty anymore. He had abandoned all of his softer beliefs when he took on his new identity, but now they were returning to him. He knew exactly what it was like to be afraid. He knew how scary it was to be alone in the world surrounded by no one but enemies. That was exactly how he spent his childhood. But he learned to fight, and by gaining strength, he found his squad. His… family.

"Suffering is a necessary part of life," the jackal decided to say. "Losing is a way for us to learn. You lost to a rival and came to understand just how delicate life really is, and how much effort it takes to protect it from being extinguished."

"You're making it sound way too poetic," Tawny reacted blatantly. "I just figured out that maybe some people weren't so bad, and maybe I shouldn't be so… careless when getting rid of them." The female canine smiled a little. "Heh heh… It didn't change me too much, though. I might've become a little softer, but I'm still me. I can still kill when necessary."

"Always be prepared to kill," Infinite told her. "You may never know who you have to eventually put an end to. It's also best to not let yourself grow attached to others even in the slightest."

"Duh, I learned that the hard way," Tawny interrupted. "That guy I told you about? He and I had to go our separate ways, and he said he'd kill me if he saw me again. Thankfully we never did encounter, otherwise one of us would have had to kill the other. I think he was killed some time ago by someone else." The hybrid shrugged her shoulders. "That's just life, right?" Infinite nodded in agreement.

"The world is a cruel place," he repeated, taking yet another sip from his tea. Tawny watched him silently for a moment, then once again she spoke up.

"So, Zero, if someone paid you enough money, would you kill me?"

"You've said before that you can't be trusted," Infinite pointed out. "I'd kill you before you could kill me."

"Okay, but let's say that I'm completely trustworthy," Tawny added. "Would you still kill me?"

…Would he?

"…No," he admitted. "I don't work as a mercenary anymore. Killing for money is no longer my life." He narrowed his eyes at her. "But it is still yours, therefore I would kill you if you tried anything."

"Aw, that's so sweet," Tawny grinned, making Infinite frown at her. "You'd only kill me if I betrayed you!"

That… wasn't exactly sweet.

Tawny then hopped up to her feet. "Man, this has been quite a nice little talk," she then said. "I feel like I've learned some interesting things about you, Zero."

"Hmph," Infinite reacted, looking away. He couldn't disagree with her, but he couldn't agree with her.

"Hey, why don't we watch a movie or something?" Tawny suggested. "My TV isn't the best in this house, but it's real cosy when the fire's lit and the lights are off."

So, the day started off with having ice-cream, and it was going to end with a movie. _Great._

"Do as you please," Infinite murmured, leaning his head against his hand as he propped his elbow upon the armrest. He didn't really have any preference at this point. He didn't care what she did.

He didn't care.

Motivation was slipping away from him. Interest of any kind was leaving him.

Even if the Phantom Ruby was right before him, he wouldn't do anything with it.

…Why was he feeling like this?

"Let's watch some horror movies!" Tawny offered. "We can stay up all night and watch them! I'll get some snacks and some more drinks!"

How dull. This was not something Infinite would ever choose to do. Staying up all night would be boring.

Well, luckily the night didn't last that long.

Tawny had fallen asleep before the first film even finished, and most of the snacks which she had left on the coffee table had not been eaten. Infinite was almost asleep himself due to being extremely bored, with the one thing keeping him awake being Tawny, who was leaning against him.

Infinite decided to stand up, stretching himself so that he could feel more awake for a while longer. The couch was his spot, if he was going to stay as a guest. Tawny had her own bed to sleep in. The black-furred jackal scooped her up carefully, but before he could completely lift her from the couch, Tawny snuggled up to him and wrapped her arms around him. The move came as a surprise, and Infinite almost retaliated by dropping her, but instead his expression… softened. She really was starting to remind him of someone he once knew.

" _She's asleep again?" Striker asked._

" _She's tired," Zero replied, staring down at the sleeping Kali in his arms._

" _She's always tired after these missions," Striker pointed out. "We shouldn't have let her join the squad. Girls are weaker than guys, anyway."_

 _Zero glared at the scar-nosed jackal standing not far behind him. "She's not weak," he stated. "We were all like her once, Striker."_

" _Really?" Striker asked, staring down and examining himself. "I don't think I was ever a girl, boss."_

 _The jackal squad leader's glare became more dangerous, silently telling Striker that his humour was not going to be appreciated in this moment._

" _We've all suffered," Zero reminded him. "We have all stared death in the eye, and we've all lived to tell the tale. Kali needs time to rebuild herself, and we will all have her back throughout the process. Understood?"_

" _Understood, boss…" Striker responded, his tall ears drooping._

Infinite shook his head to wash the memory away as he held Tawny in his arms, carrying her towards the staircase so that he could take her to her room. He lay the hybrid in her bed and even felt kind enough, in that brief moment, to tuck her in.

Once Tawny was in her bed, Infinite left and closed the door behind him. He wasn't even going to ask himself why he was acting like this. He knew that he was changing. He knew that whoever he used to be was no longer who he was now.

The only thing he really wondered about was what he would soon become.

The jackal, while he was on his feet, turned off the movie and tidied the living room, putting away the snacks and cleaning the drinking cups. It was actually difficult for him to figure out where things were supposed to go, so he just put all the food in one cupboard where other food items were being stored, and he left the cups in the sink, where he believed they were supposed to dry.

Returning to the living room, Infinite stared at the fire. There was no fire extinguisher nearby, or a hose, so there must have been a less dramatic way to put the flames out.

…Oh, he remembered now. It was a gas fire.

With the flick of a switch, the fire went out. Easy. Now he could sleep on the couch with nothing to disturb him.

Was this what it felt like to live a normal, simple life?

It was dull.

…But it was different.

Infinite welcomed change when he felt the time called for it, and right now change was definitely what he needed.

Perhaps a life like this would be ideal.

…If he was allowed to have one.

 **~End of Chapter~**


	9. Pack of Wolves

**~Pack of Wolves~**

Having awoken long before the morning sun, Infinite had taken the now-dry cups out of the sink and was looking for a place to put them. Where were they supposed to go?

Tawny entered the kitchen, tiredly rubbing her eyes. "What did I miss?" she asked tiredly. "Did they get away from the zombie-infested robot scrapyard?"

"I wouldn't know, I turned the movie off when you died of boredom," Infinite answered flatly, not even looking at her as he continued to open cupboards in search of the one which held the cups. Tawny's eyes managed to open wider to show that she was now a little more awake, and she stared at the jackal oddly.

"What are you doing?" she asked him, only then noticing that the house was a little cleaner, especially as she peeped her head through the door to look back into the living room. "Have you been cleaning?"

"No," Infinite answered. "I put everything you left out away. I just need to find where these cups go."

"Top cupboard to the left," Tawny pointed, stifling a chuckle. Infinite faced the cupboard she had gestured to, and then frowned.

"Of course," he grumbled, placing both cups inside the cupboard and then turning back to the hybrid.

"I'm gonna go and look for more survivors today," Tawny announced. "It'll make the clean-up job go by much faster. You wanna join me again, mercenary?"

Infinite narrowed his eyes, not pleased with Tawny's new word which she used to describe him. "No," he said to her. "I find the task to be dull."

"You think everything is dull," the coyote-jackal pointed out. "Well then, suit yourself. But don't blame me if you get bored."

He wasn't going to.

Tawny left the house, and Infinite left shortly after. He wasn't going to stay there and do nothing. He was going to find something to do.

Staying in the city was not ideal for him, so he decided to once again head in the direction of Green Hill. Maybe beyond that area he would be able to find somewhere more peaceful and isolated, just so he could spend some well-deserved time alone.

"So, what's the deal with you two?"

Oh, not that guy again…

Infinite grimaced and then looked up, seeing Ridge sitting upon a higher platform within the grassy location. The older jackal hopped down to his level, grinning at him.

"You again," Infinite hissed lowly.

"I'm difficult to get rid of," Ridge responded smugly, putting his arm around the ex-mercenary. "So then, mind explaining what's going on between you and her?"

"Nothing," Infinite spat, pushing him away. "Why is it interesting to you? How often do you watch her life?" Ridge had never exactly admitted to being Tawny's father, after all.

"I've watched her grow since she was just a little baby," Ridge shrugged. "I can't get any closer than that, I'm afraid."

"Why?" Infinite pressed. "Why do you watch her, and why can't you get close?" He knew the answer, but he just wanted to hear Ridge say it.

"Something tells me that you already know the answer," Ridge said to him, eyeing Infinite carefully but with a smirk on his face. "Now then, why don't you answer my question, Zero?"

"I did," Infinite told him. "Nothing is going on between us, and if anyone so much as suggests such an idea, I will personally end their miserable lives."

"I'm suggesting it," Ridge pushed, stepping closer to Infinite in a daring manner. "Tawny found you outside the city after you apparently walked all the way from Eggman's fortress, and within the space of a few days, she was letting you stay at her house."

"She's just soft," Infinite excused, looking away from Ridge. "I had no place to go, so naturally she took me in."

"And why did you have no place?" Ridge interrogated. "Was your house destroyed in the war?"

"I have no reason to answer your questions," Infinite growled, turning on his heel and walking away. He didn't want to speak to Ridge right now; he just wanted to be alone, and he also wanted to remove the make-shift bandage on his leg, since he believed it had healed enough.

"I didn't think you came from here," Ridge continued, causing Infinite to stop walking. "In fact, I don't think you have a home anywhere, do you? The closest thing you had to a home was that fortress."

Infinite turned his head and narrowed his eyes back at Ridge. "What are you attempting to imply?" he queried with a quiet voice. This, in all honesty, was not looking too good.

Ridge just chuckled upon seeing Infinite's reaction. "I think you know exactly what I'm implying…

 _Infinite."_

Infinite felt his eyes widen – something which he couldn't even control. His fists clenched tightly and he grinded his teeth together, and his heart pounded against his chest.

Ridge laughed at Infinite's reaction. "Ha! I knew it!" he reacted proudly. "That's why you came from the fortress! That's why nobody recognises you – because they've only seen you in a mask!"

No longer in control of himself, Infinite dashed towards Ridge and jumped up, making an attempt to bring the older jackal to the ground. Ridge grinned and caught his fists, then throwing Infinite to the ground. Infinite hit a rock, once again grimacing as he tried to get up.

"Relax, _Zero,_ your secret's safe with me," Ridge assured, gaining Infinite's immediate attention. "After all, you didn't _admit_ that you're Infinite. Just like how I didn't admit that I'm Tawny's father."

So, he knew that Infinite had made such an assumption.

"What do you want…?" Infinite growled as he finally stood on his two feet, slightly hunched over due to mildly wounding his back.

"I want Tawny to be safe," Ridge stated. "She sees something in you, but the last time she saw something in someone, he hurt her."

Was that the guy Tawny had just told him about?

"I'm not going to hurt her," Infinite said, somewhat surprised that those were his own words. "I have no reason to harm her. All I want is to be alone."

"Until you get enough strength to start another war?" Ridge asked. Infinite scowled at him.

"Perhaps," he answered darkly. "And what will you do about it? You can kill me here, but if you believe Tawny cares about me, then you'll only be destroying her from the inside. Some father you are, abandoning your own daughter and breaking her until she is in pieces."

Ridge's smug expression faded and he now glared hard at Infinite. Without saying anything, he grabbed the younger jackal by his throat and lifted him up with one hand, choking him. Infinite clawed at his hand and snarled, thrashing in his grasp, unable to free himself. Knowing this, he locked his eyes onto Ridge's as if expecting death to embrace him soon. He wasn't going to look away from his killer.

"Hmph," Ridge then huffed with a slight smirk. "That's what I thought." He dropped Infinite on the floor, and the scar-faced jackal rubbed his throat and coughed. "You're pathetic. Harmless. Weak. You don't have the strength to even defend yourself." The dark brown jackal tilted his head. "Or maybe you secretly wish you could die."

"Shut up…" Infinite rasped, glaring up at him. Ridge couldn't contain his low laughter.

"Tawny can handle you," he stated. "Without your power source, you're just some sad little jackal." His gaze softened slightly. "But from what I've seen, I wouldn't go as far as to say you were evil."

Infinite looked up at him oddly.

"I saw you save that kid," Ridge pointed out, "and you've been spending time with Tawny. You could've killed her if you really wanted to, but obviously you don't want to because you're not Infinite anymore, and I doubt you ever will be." Infinite glared at him again, but Ridge simply shook his head. "Don't look at me like that. You know it, too, kiddo. That's why you're prepared to die. You don't know what your future has in store for ya."

He… was right.

Infinite didn't know what his future would be like. Sooner or later everyone would likely find out that he was Infinite, and he'd probably be arrested or killed. There was no way for him to get his power back, and even if there was…

Tawny had softened him.

Not just Tawny, but this new way of life. The simple, luxurious way of life he wished he could've had when growing up, and even the innocent words which came from Ace's mouth – the words which came from a child he had ruined the life of.

Facing reality had made him soft.

Weak.

Ridge helped Infinite get back on his feet. "Y'know, if you open your eyes, you might start enjoying your new life," the older jackal said. "I don't think that mask helped you see very well."

Maybe it didn't.

Maybe… things weren't going to be so bad.

Suddenly, Ridge let out a yell of pain and fell to the ground. Infinite's eyes went wide as he stared down at the thief, who had been shot in the back, but then his eyes scanned the area rapidly. Laughter surrounded him, and before he knew it, he was being circled by Scar and his Wolf Squad.

"Well, well, well. I didn't think you were still alive, Zero," Scar greeted in a mocking tone of voice, his grin wide. "I thought you died along with the rest of your squad."

Infinite's fists clenched, but he didn't give much more of a reaction.

"So then, what got you talking to this old coot?" the wolf continued. "Trying to resolve your childhood father problems, are you?"

"I've beaten you enough times in the past, Scar," Infinite managed to say calmly. "I'll do it again here and now." Scar could only laugh loudly.

"You're forgetting that you don't have a squad to help you this time," he pointed out, then drawing out a gun. "Don't worry; you'll be joining them soon."

Ridge suddenly jumped up to his feet and tackled Scar violently, pinning him to the ground. He sharply turned his head to face Infinite. "Run!" he shouted at him. Infinite glowered angrily.

"I'm no coward," he hissed. "I will never flee."

"You want these low-lives to be the end of you?" Ridge asked, holding up Scar as a shield when one of the other wolves made an attempt to strike him. Infinite could see his point – he couldn't win on his own. He wasn't armed and he had no backup.

Ridge would no doubt be held captive by Wolf Squad rather than killed, so there was no need to worry about him.

…Worry?

No, Infinite wasn't worried… was he?

…Even so, he knew that fleeing was the best option, much to his dismay. Not thinking about the option for much longer, he turned and sprinted back towards the city.

One wolf stepped forwards in an attempt to chase the jackal down, but Scar halted him after escaping from Ridge's grasp. "Let him run," he commanded, then grinning. "He'll be back. We have his new friend."

Ridge watched as Infinite fled, and couldn't help but smile a little. Infinite was not going to accept death at the hands of Wolf Squad, and he was returning to the city – to Tawny.

Infinite ran through the city, having never felt this panicked in a long time. Why was he even panicking? Surely leaving Ridge in the hands of Wolf Squad was beneficial to him, seeing that the older jackal knew his secret?

…No. If he didn't rescue him, then Ridge would tell Scar that he was Infinite. That's the sort of thing his own father would have done.

…But Ridge wasn't the same as his father. Ridge cared about Tawny and wanted the best for her. Besides, it wouldn't be right to leave Ridge in the hands of those mangy dogs. They didn't deserve the satisfaction of killing someone like Ridge. They didn't deserve to destroy Tawny's family.

Infinite spotted Tawny ahead, watching as she was just leaving the temporary hospital (presumably after taking in another survivor she had found). Before she could even spot him coming towards her, Infinite pounced and landed right in front of her, making her jump with surprise.

"Zero!" she reacted. "Don't do that, you almost made me jump outta my fur!"

"Wolf Squad have Ridge," Infinite announced immediately, watching Tawny's expression sink.

"They what?" she asked.

"I encountered Ridge in Green Hill, and they ambushed us," Infinite explained simply. "They will kill him if we don't… save him."

"…I guess I do owe it to him…" Tawny murmured. "He saved me from them once, so I should save him from them, too."

"We'll be able to find them in Green Hill," Infinite stated. "That seems to be their place of hiding. I've encountered them there twice now."

"Even if they're not there, I bet they would've left tracks like they always do," Tawny added. Infinite nodded in agreement.

"Let's go," he ordered, turning and running again. Tawny ran just behind him.

Wolf Squad could not be allowed to find out that he was Infinite. They would never stop pursuing him if they knew such information, and his life would be one of constant running. He had to rescue Ridge for the sake of keeping his identity safe.

And… perhaps he also wanted to save him for Tawny's sake, too.

 **~End of Chapter~**


	10. Cave Showdown

**~Cave Showdown~**

Together, both Tawny and Infinite ran straight to Green Hill. The wolves and Ridge were gone.

"They've taken him," Infinite confirmed, looking around. "They must have taken him to one of Green Hill's caves."

"There are loads of caves around here," Tawny pointed out. "Should we split up?"

"No," Infinite answered.

"Oh, come on, these guys aren't so tough!" Tawny complained. "I can take them on by myself."

"It's not worth the risk," Infinite said to her. "We must go together." Not only because he wasn't confident in his own ability to battle the wolves, but also because he was worried that if Tawny found them first then Ridge would release the secret due to believing that Infinite was not helping in the search.

He just couldn't afford to have that secret be revealed right now.

"Alright, scaredy-pup, I'll even hold your hand so we don't get lost," Tawny taunted with a grin. Infinite glared at her.

"You don't seem too worried for someone whose father's life is in danger," he pointed out.

"Didn't you say we should never get close to anybody?" Tawny reminded him. "And you were the one who told me that I shouldn't even bother with the guy."

"He cares about you," Infinite mumbled, looking away from her as he began to walk again. "Be thankful that you can say your father loves you, and let him be thankful that he has a daughter who gives a damn about him."

He never had a loving father. At one point that meant he was willing to make everyone suffer by killing their fathers, but now he couldn't do that. It wouldn't bring him the same satisfaction anymore.

Tawny deserved to have her father.

"Alright, mercenary boy, do you have any idea where to look first?" the female hybrid asked him. Infinite held his head high, trying to catch some kind of scent, whether it belonged to one of the wolves or Ridge.

"…This way," the jackal announced, running ahead. Tawny ran after him.

As expected, it was one of Green Hill's caves where the scent was coming from. The smell of cowardly wolves hiding behind a hostage.

"So, we're supposed to go in there?" Tawny asked once the pair had stopped by the dark entrance to one of the larger, more secluded caves.

"No, we're supposed to stand here and wait for Ridge to come out once his friendly meeting is over," Infinite muttered sarcastically.

"No need for the attitude," Tawny mumbled. Infinite frowned at her before walking into the darkness slowly, with the hybrid following just behind him.

He had spent so much time in the dark, so his vision wasn't a problem (much to Tawny's belief, who was still convinced that he had a blind eye), but he stepped carefully just so he could listen out for anything as slight as soft breathing. He wasn't going to let Scar and those wolves ambush him and Tawny.

"So, you actually showed up," Scar's voice echoed through the cave as he stepped into view, his eyes almost glowing in the darkness. "And what's this? You brought Tawny with you? Now, that makes things so much more interesting."

"I'm glad you're excited to see me, boys," Tawny smirked, placing her hands on her hips.

"Honestly, Tawny, I didn't think you'd trust anyone again after what Mercury did to you," Scar mocked. "But look at you now, standing in a cave surrounded by enemies with some scrawny little jackal at your side."

"Wow, you seriously underestimate me, Scar," Tawny countered with a grin. "Besides, who said I trust this guy? We just both have a mutual dislike for your squad."

"Oh, please, you came here because he's rescuing his friend," Scar cackled. "You're gonna lose him, too, Tawny; I know what Zero's like. He's a cold-blooded killer like us guys, except now he's a nobody."

"I think you're just upset that I never gave you a chance…" Tawny murmured to herself, rolling her eyes.

Infinite couldn't help but chuckle under his breath, with the laughter growing louder and louder before he was bellowing it out. "How amusing!" he responded. "You think I'm here to rescue a friend? And you're trying to weaken us by implying that we have emotional feelings for each other? Don't be such a fool, Scar…" His eyes glimmered dangerously as he continued.

"I'm just here to kill you."

The jackal darted forwards and punched Scar across the face, aiming his second fist at his gut. This attack prompted the other wolves to start a fight as they leapt from the shadows, but all of them were focused on Tawny.

"Okay, okay, this is hardly even fair!" the coyote-jackal reacted, dodging any punch or kick aimed in her direction. However, she then grinned widely. "I like it when people don't play fair!"

Infinite didn't need to worry about Tawny. She seemed to be doing just fine, focusing on one wolf at a time and letting them hit each other like the bumbling fools they were.

It was a little embarrassing to watch Tawny deal with a whole group of wolves with ease while Infinite struggled to deal with only one, but he was determined to beat this guy. Wolf Squad had got in his way for the last time.

Scar grabbed Infinite by his shoulders and kneed him in the gut, but Infinite barely grimaced. Instead, he forced a grin, then dragging his clawed hand down the wolf's face. Despite the hand being gloved, he was still able to leave a painful wound. Scar snarled and threw Infinite to the ground, stepping on his stomach to keep him pressed into the dirt.

"I almost feel bad for you," the Wolf Squad leader said falsely. "You were once a proud leader just like me, and now you're nothing."

Nothing.

He wasn't nothing. He was someone new.

Infinite punched Scar in the ankle to remove his foot from his stomach, then backflipping up onto his feet. He lunged forward and once again brought his fist across Scar's face, then finally choosing to kick him in the side so that he hit the wall.

"I don't need a squad to make me feel strong," the jackal stated as he walked towards Scar. As Scar was about to stand, Infinite kicked him hard across the face to make sure he knew his place, then grabbing his face and forcing him to look him in the eyes. "I'm not weak like you."

Scar bared his teeth and pulled out his gun, aiming to shoot at Infinite, but Infinite simply used his free hand to disarm the wolf.

"It's over," the jackal declared. "Surrender now and admit that you have been defeated."

"Ha…" Scar coughed, managing to grin. "Why would I ever surrender to someone who has lost everything?"

"Then die a fool," Infinite countered, raising Scar's own weapon and turning it against him. He was ready to shoot, but heard one of the wolves speak up.

"Shoot him and we'll shoot her," said an arctic wolf who Infinite recognized to be Ice. Ice was standing with his foot pressed into Tawny's back, and his own firearm pressed against her head. Infinite couldn't help but glare.

"I thought you said you could handle these guys on your own," he growled.

"They've, um… gotten better…" Tawny laughed nervously, only to wince as Ice pressed his booted foot harder into her back.

"Silence," he spat, then eyeing Infinite carefully. "Let him go or we'll kill her, and we'll get Howl to kill Ridge, too."

Infinite was not at all pleased about being in this situation. Being threatened by Wolf Squad made him feel lower than dirt.

"Well, Zero?" Scar laughed. "What will it be?"

Infinite was still for a moment, but then he closed his eyes and sighed, appearing defeated. He dropped the gun on the ground and slowly raised his hands.

"Finally, the jackal knows his place," Scar mocked, standing up. "I've waited a long time to see you like this."

Tawny stared with wide eyes, surprised that Infinite was actually surrendering. Not surprised that he didn't have the strength, but rather surprised that he didn't at least finish Scar's life. Was it her life that was now his weakness?

…Not quite.

As Scar approached Infinite, the jackal narrowed his eyes and suddenly brought his elbow back into Scar's stomach, knocking the air right out of him for a brief moment. He threw Scar into Ice and then jumped on a black-furred wolf known as Prowler, relentlessly punching him in the chest and face.

Ice snarled and grabbed a transceiver. "Howl!" he yelled. "Bring Ridge in here and kill him! Our guests aren't following our rules!"

"Sorry," said the voice of Ridge as he emerged from the shadows of the inner cave, dragging an unconscious Howl behind him. "There should always be at least two guards for a prisoner."

Ice, fueled by anger, ran at Ridge and together the pair clashed, wrestling each other and attempting to get each other on the ground.

Tawny laughed, fighting off the few wolves who were left near her – the ones with less strength, by the looks of things. Infinite chose to help her, since she was outnumbered, and finally felt it all coming back. His strength. His skill. His natural ability to fight. He was using his own flexible and agile body to leap and kick and punch flawlessly, and the sight was surprisingly elegant. Anyone who looked could tell that he had fought many times before, and most likely won.

Scar rubbed his head, then letting his eyes focus on the fight. He was losing again, with three of his rivals all working together this time. Nothing had ever been so humiliating.

The gun was still on the floor from where Infinite had dropped it. Nobody was focusing on Scar, which meant that nobody saw him grabbing the weapon.

This was his chance to end one of his foes.

Scar's eyes went from Ridge, to Infinite and then finally to Tawny. Tawny had been the most persistent opponent, who constantly enjoyed getting in his way, while the two jackals actually avoided conflict as much as they could. Infinite, in particular, was no longer as powerful as he used to be, for without his squad to back him up, he was fairly manageable.

Tawny was going to die here.

Scar grinned to himself and aimed carefully.

Infinite threw one of the wolves to the ground, and at that point he spotted what Scar was up to. His ears stood tall as his eyes went wide, his pupils following the gun's barrel to where it was pointing.

It was pointing at Tawny.

Scar's finger was already pressing down on the trigger, so there was no point in trying to attack him. He was too far away and he would've fired the weapon by the time Infinite reached him.

Tawny was much closer.

Infinite took one last look between Scar and Tawny.

" _Over here! BOSS!"_

 _Kali was at Shadow's mercy, clinging for dear life on the cliff's ledge. He was going to make her fall._

 _Zero wasn't going to let that happen._

 _So, he charged at Shadow…_

 _Darkness._

Infinite sprinted towards Tawny and jumped, wrapping his arms around her as the gun emitted a loud sound which resembled a thunder clap.

Tawny fell onto her back with the jackal on top of her, not quite understanding what had just happened. She stared up at him and had no words to say. All she could do was stare into what looked like shocked eyes as Infinite panted heavily. At first, she simply thought he was surprised at his own act of heroism, with the heavy breathing relating to what must have been panic.

But upon closer inspection, Infinite wore a pained expression.

The lone mercenary rolled off her, falling onto his side as he curled up, grimacing and wincing as he desperately held back growls and yells of agony.

Scar was initially angered when seeing that Infinite had saved Tawny, but then he smirked and snickered to himself lowly. "Now, would you look at that?" he reacted. "The former leader of Jackal Squad risking his hide for a lowlife bounty hunter. I think she means more to you than you're letting on, Zero." The wolf started walking closer, wearing a wide grin as he watched Infinite writhing in pain. "Unless, of course, you're still upset about what happened to your squad. You couldn't save any of them. Not even Kali."

 _How dare he._ He had tried to save Kali. Back when he was himself, Kali meant everything to him. She was the one to bring out his gentle side. He may have been soft for all of his squad members, but Kali was different.

Losing her is what made him afraid of himself in the first place.

Infinite wanted to stand and fight Scar one-on-one, but the pain in his side was unbearable. Just one wound caused by one gun had spread pain all over. He honestly didn't expect to be in as much agony as he was, and he wondered if he would've not bothered saving Tawny if he knew it would be this painful.

Scar walked closer, but Tawny suddenly threw herself in between the two canine mercenaries. Her blue eyes were on Scar, practically with warning lights flashing within the irises.

"You're not going near him," she snarled. Scar stopped walking, but again could only laugh at the sight.

"You see him as another Mercury, don't you, coyote?" he asked her. "I'd say he'll only hurt you the same way, but Zero isn't going to live for much longer."

"Be careful what you wish for," Ridge was heard saying. "Sometimes what you wish for others happens to yourself." Scar tried to turn around, but Ridge bashed his own head against the wolf's face, stunning him before then kicking him to the ground.

With Ridge now handling Scar, Tawny turned all of her attention to Infinite, kneeling beside him and examining his wound. "You took the full force of that shot…" she noted. "That needs patching up right now. You're lucky it didn't hit anywhere too important…" Tawny was about to use her vest like she had done before, but Infinite grabbed her wrist. He shook his head slowly, trying to keep eye-contact.

"Don't…" he croaked out. "The stripes…"

"Who cares about the stripes?!" Tawny barked suddenly. "That injury's gonna kill you!"

Why did she even care? Didn't she pride herself in not caring about anyone?

Tawny tore off her vest like she had done in the past, but the wound was much greater. Patching it up like this wouldn't fix the whole problem – it would only put a temporary halt to the whole 'dying' process.

Ridge, after leaving Scar unconscious on the ground, approached the duo and inspected the sight before him. "Did he take a gunshot for you?" he queried.

"It looks that way," Tawny answered, then looking up at the older jackal. "We need to get him back to that hospital in the city. He's gonna die!"

At this moment, Infinite was fading in and out of consciousness – in and out of reality. He felt… tired. He just wanted to close his eyes and let the darkness cradle him…

"Let me take him," Ridge then offered. He knew that he would be saving the life of the one responsible for the war, but he could see that Infinite was not Infinite anymore. Infinite was gone. Dead. This jackal was the broken parts of a once-complete individual, and he was still putting his fragments back together. Perhaps some pieces were going to be lost forever, but he was still becoming someone who wasn't Infinite.

Besides, he had done this for Tawny.

Ridge believed that Infinite was going to be a lot different compared to Mercury.

Tawny passed Infinite carefully to Ridge. "Make sure they see to him immediately," she instructed. "I'm gonna report these mangy losers to the soldiers. Someone will wanna deal with them." Ridge simply nodded in response, having no disagreements with her plan.

"Be safe," he then said quietly, sprinting out of the cave with the dying Infinite in his arms. Tawny stood and watched him leave for a short while before running out herself, determined to report Wolf Squad's whereabouts to the authorities.

She had lingered for too long in the cave, however, for Scar had regained consciousness and noticed the white stripes on Tawny's back.

He saw that she was a hybrid.

 **~End of Chapter~**


	11. Undeserved Punishments

**~Undeserved Punishments~**

Darkness.

He was here again.

Was this what death felt like?

The last thing he remembered was lying on the ground, feeling his life leaking out of his body. Why did that happen?

Because he shielded Tawny.

Why did he shield her? Why did he almost let himself die just to save her life? Was it because he was afraid of what Ridge would do?

…No. He hadn't even though about Ridge when he made his choice. But he had thought about someone else.

Kali.

Kali, the only female jackal in his squad. The one who would reach out to him when he was alone. The one who softened his cold mercenary heart.

The one he failed to save.

Seeing Tawny seconds away from being killed reminded him of how he failed his squad. It brought everything back to him. He couldn't sit back and watch someone else die because of his own… weakness.

He couldn't remember what happened after he was shot. He vaguely remembered some provocative comments coming from Scar, and Tawny trying to patch him up, but other than that, everything became a blur.

Everything became darkness.

And now he was here.

Darkness.

But, somehow, the darkness began to fade. Brighter and brighter the world around him became, until the world was white. He could hear echoing voices which grew louder and louder. Sounds. And then he was starting to see things. Everything was still a blur, but he could see that things were definitely around him.

" _Zero?"_

Was that Tawny?

His eyes were half-open, and his body was trying harder to wake up compared to his lazy mind which wanted to stay asleep, but his mind did eventually awaken and process what was going on around him.

Here he was again, back in hospital.

"There you are, tough guy," Tawny grinned, though it looked as if she was hiding a face of worry. "You've been out for hours."

"Hmph…" was all Infinite said in response, turning his head to face away from her. He still didn't have much strength to speak.

"…You saved my life," Tawny pointed out after a small pause. She didn't seem too happy herself with admitting that, since, like Infinite, she was proud to be strong and independent. "I didn't even know Scar was aiming that weapon at me…"

"Zero! You're okay!"

That small voice was familiar…

Running up to the hospital bed was Ace, much to Infinite's surprise. It even made his squinting eyes widen slightly.

"Ace…" he reacted in a quiet but hoarse voice. He didn't expect the child to be here.

"I knew you'd be okay!" Ace cried joyfully. "The medics didn't think you'd make it, but I knew you would!"

The medics thought he would die so easily, did they? They definitely needed to go and do their homework.

"Heh…" was the noise which then came from Infinite's lips. It almost sounded like a single chuckle, but he wasn't smiling at all. He didn't even know what he was attempting to laugh at. Was he laughing at the fact that the medics were so foolish, or was he laughing at Ace's excitement to see him?

"This little guy was really worried about ya," Tawny told the wounded jackal.

"You were worried about him, too!" Ace defended. Tawny laughed nervously and scratched the back of her head.

"I wasn't worried, I knew he'd be fine," she countered.

Infinite turned his head to look at Ace, but something caught his attention. The young jackal had a black eye.

"Hey…" he murmured, catching Ace's attention. "Your eye…"

"Huh?" Ace reacted with a head tilt before feeling his own black eye. It was clear that he was restraining himself from wincing in pain. "Oh, it's nothing! I'm tough! It's just a bump!"

"Who did it…?" Infinite asked with a frown. He knew that someone had hurt Ace.

The child's smile faded and he looked down, his ears drooping in shame. "The other children here don't like me…" he mumbled. "They said I'm like Infinite… They think I'm going to be evil when I grow up…"

This was his fault. Because of everything he did to the world, Infinite had made all jackals look evil.

"Tell them that Infinite's your father," the older jackal advised, still forcing his words out. "They might be afraid of you then."

"I don't want them to be afraid of me," Ace admitted. "I just want them to like me."

Ah, the struggles of being a child. Children were taught to be kind to others and they're only goal was to make friends and respect those around them. Infinite never had those luxuries in his youth, to be taught kindness, while Ace was definitely just a normal kid. He didn't have survival on his mind like Infinite did as a child.

"Sometimes if you don't wanna get hurt, you have to scare people," Infinite then said. "The world isn't about making friends and being kind to others. It's about survival."

"But it's nice to have friends," Ace argued sadly. "I don't want to be alone."

"Kid," Tawny spoke up, smiling at Ace confidently. "You're not alone. Zero and I care about ya, and I'm sure someone will adopt you when the clean-up is over."

"I hope so…" Ace muttered.

Infinite coughed suddenly, and grimaced due to the strain it put on his wound. He snarled painfully, clenching his fists.

"You should get back to the children's ward," Tawny whispered to Ace. "Zero's still really hurt."

"Will he get better?" Ace asked quietly.

"Of course, he will!" Tawny grinned. "Nothing bad will happen to him now that he's all patched up. He just needs to rest so that the pain goes away."

"Okay," Ace nodded, reassured by Tawny's words. "I hope he gets well soon!"

"I do, too," Tawny admitted, then patting Ace's back. "Now, go on. Go back to the children's ward." Ace nodded again and then sprinted away, thus leaving Tawny alone with Infinite. "Trynna get him to scare other kids, huh?" she then said. "It's not like they've all been traumatized enough already."

"Tch," Infinite hissed, rolling his eyes. "They shouldn't be picking on him because of the actions of one individual."

"Can't blame them, if I'm honest," Tawny sighed. "Infinite was one scary dude. He did a lotta damage to this world, and he killed a lotta people. Wouldn't you be afraid of others if you thought they were like him?"

"I wouldn't be foolish enough to see the world that way," Infinite countered.

"Even as a child?" Tawny asked. "C'mon, we were all scared little kids once. Surely you were afraid of certain people back then?"

No. He was only afraid of one person.

" _Dad, it hurts!"_

" _The world is a cruel place, Zero. You're gonna have to get used to feeling pain."_

" _Please, dad, my foot's broken!"_

" _Keep. Walking."_

" _I can't!"_

"I feared one person," Infinite confessed, albeit his voice was very quiet now. "That didn't make me fear others like him."

"Only one?" Tawny pressed, not entirely convinced. Infinite just nodded his head.

"Only one," he echoed.

"Then you didn't feel what it was like to be a child," Tawny finalised. Infinite stared at her for a moment before looking away again.

"No," he admitted. "I didn't."

This comment made Tawny look at him oddly, her head tilted. She was silent for a moment and almost seemed to be holding her breath before she released a sigh.

"Zero," she began. "Just… who are you?"

Who was he? What was that supposed to mean?

"You're someone I really struggle to read," she admitted. "You've told me a few things from your past, but… nothing makes sense. You act like the whole world is your enemy, yet you act like you are stronger than everyone around you, but in reality… I've seen you struggle both emotionally and physically. What exactly are you hiding?"

He wasn't just hiding the fact that he was Infinite, was he? It was so much more than that. He had already told her about his violent mercenary past, but that wasn't enough. He was still a mystery to her, and while she hadn't told him much about her own past, she wasn't exactly someone who was shrouded in mystery. The only thing about her past which was on Infinite's mind was Mercury – the individual mentioned by Scar who was no doubt the same individual who apparently softened her.

Infinite closed his eyes, thinking for a moment. Should he tell her? Should he reveal his deepest secrets, which he would not even tell to himself? The ones he had actually tried to forget?

…There was no point in locking the world out anymore.

He had to face reality.

"My father," he began, his voice barely there. "He didn't like the world. After my mother passed away shortly after I was born, he realised that the world was not a safe place for those who were weak. He didn't believe children were being taught to survive, so he taught me. First it was just intense combat training, but it soon became much more than that. He would dislocate my arms and force me to lift heavy objects. He would break my feet and make me walk without shoes. He would make me kill helpless woodland creatures, telling me that they would be able to live if they could put up a good fight. They never could." He shook his head slowly, grimacing at his own memories. "He wanted me to be merciless, and it worked. It worked too well, in fact."

" _You're weak. Fight!"_

" _I don't want to fight you!"_

" _Hesitation will be your last mistake in any battle, Zero!"_

 _Zero cried out in pain and shock when his father slashed him across the face using his red sword._

 _So hard that the damage to his eye changed it from yellow to blue, leaving a large scar down his face._

"He wanted me to become a merciless killer, so I became a merciless killer," Infinite continued.

 _Zero had put up with this violent lifestyle for long enough. It was all he knew, but if he wanted to find some joy and freedom in life, he knew what had to be done._

 _He held his father's crimson blade and approached him as he sat cooking some food in the kitchen of the wooden hut they used to live in together._

 _The moment his father saw him, he frowned._

" _What are you doing with my sword?" he asked, although he knew what his son planned on doing. "Give it back to me."_

"What did you do?" Tawny questioned, though she sounded a little hesitant, as if she knew what the answer would be but at the same time, she didn't want to hear him say it.

 _Zero glared hatefully at the older jackal, not appearing intimidated even as his father stepped closer to him. "You want it back?" the adolescent asked quietly. "Then here it is."_

 _With no further warning, Zero thrust the sword forwards in one swift movement._

"I killed him," Infinite revealed in a raspy voice, a hateful frown on his face. "I killed my father when I was just a boy. I at least thought I would cry or tremble after doing what I did. I thought I would become normal, like the other children I would sometimes see holding their father's hand, but I felt exactly the same. I was bitter. I was hateful. And most of all… I was numb to emotional and physical pain." Infinite met Tawny's horrified eyes. "I never did have a childhood. So, if I don't treat children how they're "supposed" to be treated, then think back to this conversation and my confession."

Infinite turned his head away as Tawny continued to stare at him. She may have grown up mostly alone, but isolation was better than living within range of danger. Infinite would've preferred to grow up as a lonely orphan rather than a child being constantly beaten until he could no longer feel.

A monster. He must have always been a monster. He didn't become a terror when he chose to hide his face behind that mask, he was a terror long before then. He was raised in a world of hate and violence, and that was all he ever knew.

Until now.

He had been rescued by Tawny and brought to the city. He had helped her do her little tasks by helping survivors, and he even risked his own life to save a child – a child most likely orphaned by his recent past actions. Tawny had also saved him when Eggman turned against him, and she had tended to his wounded leg. She had housed him and tried to comfort him when she thought he was vulnerable, and she had spent time with him by choice outside of her self-appointed duties. And, on top of all of this, Infinite almost got himself killed when protecting her in return for everything she had done for him.

He… really did care about her like he cared about his squad mates.

She was his friend.

Then, at that very moment as he lay in silence, he felt something touch his gloved hand. His ears perked up and he turned his head, and saw that Tawny had placed her hand on top of his. She was even… smiling at him. Not a smug smile, either, or a playful one, but instead it was a warm one.

"Hey," she said softly, squeezing his hand in a reassuring manner. "Don't look so ashamed of yourself. I don't think you're evil or anything." The hybrid glanced to the side, still smiling to herself. "I'm… actually kinda flattered you told me that. Not long ago you didn't look like you wanted to talk to anyone about anything, but now you've… well, you've opened up. That's always a good thing, right?"

He had opened up? Really? Is that what he just did?

…Not enough, clearly. If he truly opened up, then she would know who he really was.

…He was afraid to tell her that now, and he couldn't think of a good time to tell her the truth. Surely, she would hate him if she discovered that he was Infinite.

"…I've said enough," Infinite mumbled. "I believe you owe me an explanation yourself."

"Sure, anything," Tawny shrugged. "I don't hide much."

"Who was Mercury?" Infinite decided to ask. He could see that Tawny looked a little more uncomfortable, but she quickly relaxed herself.

"Isn't it obvious?" the coyote-jackal responded. "Mercury was the guy who got on my good side and made me see things differently. I didn't think I'd ever feel it, but I guess I really was in love with the guy. We'd track down targets and treasure together, and we even used to live together. But one day, he said he had joined a band of mercenaries. After that happened, we just went our separate ways. Apparently, I was a target his group was after, and he swore to kill me if he ever saw me again."

"Is that everything?" Infinite asked. He wasn't entirely convinced that Mercury and her just split up so easily. Plus, the name of her former partner was familiar to him. He wanted to find out a little more.

"Okay, you're good," Tawny pouted. "Fine, so there might've been an incident where he actually did capture me. He was about to hand me over to Wolf Squad, but I was able to get away. He wasn't hesitating to hurt me at all… The Mercury I knew was gone." The female shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not really that bothered by it anymore. It was a little shocking at the time, but I got over it. I think he was killed at some point, anyway."

Mercury. The name was definitely one Infinite knew. The only individual of the same name he knew of was Mercury the Silver Fox – a member of Fox Squad.

Oh boy, Tawny wouldn't want to know about Fox Squad if the Mercury she was formerly partnered with joined that team…

Tawny gave Infinite's hand one final squeeze before letting go. "You should probably get some rest," she advised. "I was really scared about losing you today, Zero. And you really do deserve a good rest, anyway." She stood up and ruffled the hair on his head, much to his annoyance, but he somewhat appreciated the fact that she was letting him rest. He still felt tired and his injury had definitely taken a lot of energy out of him.

The hybrid then made her leave, leaving Infinite all on his own.

…And it felt weird.

He liked being alone in isolated spaces, but being alone in this hospital was different. There were other people here, but they weren't people he trusted. They were strangers to him.

No. They were his enemies.

These soldiers would've killed him if they were strong enough. Even the wounded civilians and children would have tried to kill him if they had the chance.

It was… scary.

He didn't want to be here for too long just in case his identity was discovered, but at the same time he figured that nobody would recognise him – not if Sonic himself saw him as just another animal living in the area.

Keeping awake would be boring and awkward, so Infinite decided to let his tiredness consume him.

Hopefully he could sleep through the entire recovery process.

 **~End of Chapter~**


	12. Slow Recovery

**~Slow Recovery~**

" _Hey, boss, I found this one trying to escape," announced Striker as he pushed a female jackal to the floor._

" _I'm not one of them!" she snapped. "They made me work for them!"_

" _Don't listen to her," Striker growled. "She tried to kill me when I found her."_

" _Let me join your squad," the female then plead. "They treated me like I was worth nothing, but I can fight."_

" _We can't trust you," Striker snarled._

 _Zero then grabbed the female jackal by the face, looking her over as she growled all while he remained calm. He noticed that she did have bruises on her face and neck, and no doubt under the clothes she wore and also on her arms. The Jackal Squad leader then let her go roughly._

" _You can have your chance," he decided, "but if you attempt to betray us or flee like a coward, we will kill you."_

 _Striker looked surprised at this act of mercy, but didn't question it. His boss knew what he was doing._

 _The female jackal nodded her head. "I'll prove that I can fight," she growled in a determined manner. "You won't be disappointed."_

" _Good," Zero nodded. "Now then, what is your name? You may call me Zero, and my associate here is Striker."_

 _The jackal looked between the pair before staring Zero in the eyes. "My name is Kali," she introduced._

Kali.

He didn't mean to let her down…

But he soon awoke from his bizarre memory-dream when hearing the mocking laughter of children and the feeling of a small but heavy creature jumping up onto his bed.

Infinite growled and forced his eyes open, looking around to see what was going on. He saw some young children not far from his bed, but they all went from looking smug to looking worried. Why was that?

The answer to that question was clinging to him.

Infinite looked down and saw that Ace was curled up by his side, trembling. The young jackal looked up at him almost fearfully, though he looked like he didn't want to let go of the wounded ex-mercenary.

The other children could be heard whispering, and Infinite shot them a glare. "What're you brats looking at?" he asked, practically snarling at them. The children only looked more horrified, whispering and gesturing to each other before running away. With them now gone, Infinite turned his head to once again look at Ace. "Were they bothering you again?" In response, Ace nodded his head, but tightened his hold on Infinite, making the older jackal wince due to his wound.

"I'm sorry…" the child whimpered. "It's hard to be brave when everyone doesn't like you…"

Well, Infinite would disagree, but a child would never understand.

"Why don't you tell the carers?" the ex-mercenary queried, assuming that the children were being looked after. Ace only shook his head.

"I don't think they like me, either…" he answered.

"Then they are foolish," Infinite stated. "To despise an innocent child when claiming to be "good" is cowardice."

"Don't let them hurt me…" Ace begged. "I don't like being hurt…"

Infinite couldn't help but think that Ace was weak, but at the same time, he had come to understand that most children do not experience the agonies he himself was put through.

And, if he had someone to protect him in his own childhood, Infinite would have definitely hidden behind them.

He looked at Ace as if looking at his younger self, and then finally wrapped an arm around him.

"They will not harm you if you're with me," he assured. "If they're afraid of jackals, then they won't come near me. They know I'm stronger than them."

Ace only curled up, still clinging to Infinite tightly. "Thank you…" he whispered, though he still sounded afraid. Infinite had a slight frown on his face, but he couldn't feel angry. Instead, he just closed his eyes so that he could go back to sleep.

Well, he couldn't sleep for too long.

He was hungry.

Irritated at the fact that his own body had woke him up, Infinite knew that he had to eat so that he could rest comfortably and without any further disturbance. Upon awakening, he saw that Ace was still next to him, although he was fast asleep now. The sleep wasn't too deep, however, as the child stirred and awoke the moment Infinite sat himself up.

Infinite shifted so that he could move himself off the bed, standing up, and attempted to ignore the fact that Ace was awake, but he couldn't ignore him when he spoke up.

"Where are you going…?" the young jackal asked him quietly.

"I need food," Infinite told him simply. He paused for a moment before turning his head to look at Ace. "Do you need any?"

Ace's ears drooped as he bowed his head shamefully, and he nodded with some obvious hesitation.

"Hmph," Infinite reacted, nodding his head thoughtfully in response. "I'll see what I can get." With nothing more to say, Infinite hobbled towards where the food was being kept. He had to lean against a wall for support since his wound was still painful to him, but if anyone offered to help him, he simply pushed them away and demanded to be left alone.

Infinite had reached the shoddy little buffet setup where nobody was currently at, most likely because others had got their own food at a more appropriate time. There was bread and fruit and a few pastries along with few other baked goods. His mouth was practically watering at the sight, with his hunger making him want a bit of everything.

So that's exactly what he did.

He put one of everything on his disposable plate, but remembered Ace. He wasn't sure how hungry the child was or what he even liked eating, so he just doubled up on what he already had before dragging himself back to his bed, where Ace was curled up under the cover.

"…Hey," Infinite said to make his presence known. Ace peeped up before sliding out from the blanket, his ears standing tall as his nose twitched. Infinite sat down, placing the plate on the foot of the bed. "There's two of everything, which means we get one of each food item. Help yourself."

Ace looked hesitant at first, as if he were guilty to be hungry, but he helped himself to a piece of bread and hungrily nibbled away at it. Infinite took an apple and ate it whole – including the core. He had never been one for leaving scraps.

Both jackals didn't say anything as they ate the food, and Ace eventually was no longer able to stomach anymore. "I think I'm full," the child announced. Infinite was not full yet, with him having a bigger stomach due to his larger size, so continued to eat his share of food.

"Save the rest of your food for later," he instructed. "You might get hungry again soon." Ace just nodded his head, showing that he would do as he was told, and once again the air was silent aside from the overlapping voices coming from different soldiers, medics and patients.

Infinite finished his food, so put the remains on the small table beside his bed so that Ace could help himself later. "I'm done," he stated. "I'm going to rest now, so do not disturb me."

"O-Okay…" Ace muttered, but just as Infinite closed his eyes, he spoke up again, much to the older jackal's annoyance. "Can I stay here?"

"Fine," Infinite grumbled.

"Thanks, Zero…" Ace thanked, then curling up beside him once again. Infinite gave him a small glance before closing his eyes for a final time. A part of him was a little flattered that a child had grown fond of him, almost as if he had become an idol, but most of his mind was angry. Infinite knew that Ace wouldn't view him the same way if he knew that he was the terror who hurt everybody here, and in a way, he still didn't like being seen as soft. It just didn't feel right. He was never soft as a mercenary, and he definitely wasn't soft as Infinite.

But even if it didn't feel right, it didn't feel… wrong.

There was a point where he used to despise the feeling and say that it was wrong – that it was weak – but now he had accepted that this new softness would shape his future identity. It wasn't something he could get rid of.

Letting his thoughts continue to wander like this only brought him further and further into slumber…

" _What is it you want, Zero?"_

 _That was Kali speaking._

 _Zero turned around to face her. He felt completely in control of himself, like this was happening right now._

 _This wasn't a memory._

" _What do you mean, Kali?" Zero asked, though he really wanted to know how Kali was standing before him. Was it a ghost? Was it a hallucination? Or was it just a dream? And if it was a dream, why was she on his mind?_

" _You know what I mean," Kali answered, folding her arms. "You're not you."_

" _I haven't been me for a long time," Zero told her firmly._

" _No, but you were somebody," Kali corrected. "Now you're nobody. You're not Zero, and you're not Infinite."_

" _This is a waste of my time," Zero growled, turning to look away. "You're not real. None of this is real."_

" _It's not," Kali agreed, "but what does "real" even mean to you? Not long ago you were the master of bending reality."_

" _The ruby is gone," Zero pointed out. "I can never be Infinite again."_

" _No, but are you even Infinite anymore?" Kali queried. At first this question confused Zero until Kali continued to speak. "Is what Infinite wanted what you want now?"_

 _Was it?_

 _Zero turned back around as Kali walked towards him, and she was holding something out._

 _The Phantom Ruby._

 _Zero's eyes went wide as he gazed upon the jewel as if it were an item of food which he longed to devour._

" _Here it is, right before you," Kali said to him. "You can have it. You can do what you want with it. It's yours again."_

 _Zero reached forward to take it, but once it was in his hand, he only stared at it, almost as if he were thinking about his choice._

" _Zero…?" came Tawny's voice. Zero's eyes went wide as he turned around, seeing a horrified Tawny standing just behind him. What was he supposed to say?_

 _Maybe she wouldn't think anything of it while he had no mask…_

" _You're him, aren't you?" Tawny continued, much to Zero's irritation. "You're Infinite!"_

" _I thought you looked familiar when I saw you in Green Hill," came Sonic's voice, causing Zero to swiftly turn around to face him. He wasn't used to seeing the blue hedgehog look so angry. "I should've known it was you, Infinite!"_

" _So, that's what you became after your embarrassing beat-down," said the smug voice of Scar as the wolf approached with his squad. "What a coward, hiding behind a mask_ _ **and**_ _a powerful jewel."_

" _Zero…" whimpered a small voice. Zero looked down and saw a terrified Ace, who was backing away out of fear. "I-I thought you were a hero…!" Zero reached his hand out as if trying to comfort the child, but he ran away and hid behind Tawny. Zero could see that he was now surrounded, so he turned and frantically used his eyes to search for Kali. He saw her standing with the rest of his squad and reached out for them._

" _Kali…!" he called out._

" _Is this what you wanted to become?" Kali asked calmly. "Did you want to forget us and become a monster? Do you still want that same monster to take you over and hurt those around you?"_

" _I would never have changed if Shadow hadn't destroyed you!" Zero admitted loudly._

" _I didn't destroy the entire squad," Shadow's voice then said as he also stepped towards Zero with a glare on his face. "Now I'll make sure nobody returns to do what you did."_

 _As everyone closed in on Zero, Kali spoke up once again. "What will you do, Zero?" she interrogated. "Will you face what you have done, or will you run from it? Will you run from everyone who has been hurt and lied to?"_

" _No…" Zero murmured, but it didn't stop the others from closing in on him. "I said no!" It still wasn't enough, and now they were very close. Zero held the Phantom Ruby close to his chest as if holding onto it for comfort, but suddenly he could see red. "NEVER!"_

 _The ruby was back on his chest, and his mask was back on his face. He had used the power of the jewel to push everyone away from him. Even Tawny. Even Ace. He floated up into the air and let out a psychotic laugh. His strength was back. He was Infinite again._

 _He stared at the terrified Ace and Tawny, thinking that he would feel nothing for them now._

 _But that wasn't true._

" _Is this you, Zero?" Kali asked him from where she was standing. "Are you really Infinite?"_

 _He continued to stare down at Tawny and Ace. The smell of their fear… was not delicious to him. He wasn't satisfied to see them tremble like this._

 _But would they look like this if he faced his past, as Kali suggested? Would honesty come with a price?_

"ZERO!"

A loud voice caused him to bolt upright, and as a result, Infinite greatly strained his wound. It didn't feel as bad as it did the last time he was awake.

"Finally, you're awake!" Ridge sighed with relief. "You've been out for a few days now, the medics said."

"A few days?" Infinite reacted. To him it only felt like a short nap. He then noticed that the food – and plate – was gone, and that Ace was standing behind Ridge with a worried expression.

"It doesn't matter," Ridge mumbled with a shake of the head. "We can talk about that later. I came here to tell you that Tawny's gone missing."

What?

Infinite shook his head and rubbed his eyes, still tired from being suddenly awoken. "She's… what?"

"I tried to track her down, but I can't find her," Ridge explained. "Wolf Squad were arrested on the day you were injured, but the only one who disappeared was Scar. I think he's taken her somewhere!"

Why now? Why would Scar take Tawny now, and for what purpose? Scar wasn't using her as bait – otherwise he would've waited until Infinite was out of hospital.

Then Infinite realised something.

Scar must have seen Tawny's stripes.

"No…" Infinite snarled, managing to climb out of bed with less of a struggle this time.

"What?" Ridge asked him. "What do you think happened?"

"Her stripes…" Infinite recalled. "She took off her vest to treat my wound. Scar may have seen her stripes, and now he's probably trying to sell her as a rare specimen. That's what mercenaries like him do."

"Of course, you should know about the shady world," Ridge muttered, gaining himself a glare from Infinite. "Well, we have to find her before it's too late – and you're going to help me. I don't care if you haven't fully recovered from your injury yet – if anything bad happens to her, I'll tell your secret."

"I won't let anything happen to her," Infinite growled as he walked.

"You're going to save her, right?" asked Ace, who trotted after the duo.

"Of course, I am," Infinite spat. "Scar will be easy to deal with." He then looked down at Ace and held out his hand, gesturing for the child to stop walking. "You stay here. I'll return once Tawny is safe."

"Promise?" Ace queried. He sounded afraid yet hopeful at the same time.

Infinite stared at him for a moment before turning and marching away. "Whatever," he hissed under his breath. He wanted to keep the promise mainly for his own sake over Ace's, but he never made promises. If something really bad had happened to Tawny…

…No. He was going to save her. Nothing was going to happen to her. Scar was too pathetic to be Tawny's destroyer.

"What's the plan?" Infinite chose to ask Ridge once they were out of the temporary hospital setup.

"We need to find Scar," Ridge answered. "It looked as if he had raided Tawny's house, so we should go from there."

"Have you checked Green Hill?" Infinite questioned.

"All over," Ridge replied.

"Then he's in the Mystic Jungle," Infinite deduced, walking a little faster before breaking into a sprint. "Let's go."

Ridge didn't choose to question Infinite's deduction. They both knew Wolf Squad, and it seemed like the logical place to investigate if both the city and Green Hill were empty of all Scar activity.

The pair had to act fast, however.

They had to save Tawny before it was too late.

 **~End of Chapter~**


	13. Remnants of a Squad

**~Remnants of a Squad~**

Mystic Jungle wasn't too far, but even so, Ridge felt the need to start a conversation on the way, which really did annoy Infinite.

"Y'know, you should've put that mask of yours on for this," the older jackal said.

"Why, in the name of Chaos, would I do that?" Infinite responded while running.

"Scar would run a mile if he thought Infinite was gonna kill him," Ridge pointed out.

"He'll run a mile when I'm done with him," Infinite shot back. "Then again, I don't think I'm going to let him keep the ability to run."

"Aw, you sound so protective," Ridge chuckled, earning a glare from the scar-faced jackal.

"You know that I'm only helping her because you're threatening to tell my secret," Infinite reminded him.

"Yeah, yeah, keep telling yourself that," Ridge chuckled, then grabbing Infinite's wrist. "Here we go!" Not even alerting Infinite as to what he was doing, Ridge used his grappling hook to fling himself up into a tree, seeing that the pair had now reached Mystic Jungle. "So, where do you think we should look first?"

Infinite looked around, still not enjoying the fact that Ridge was practically carrying him, but he still gave a sensible answer. "They'll be trying to hide," he guessed. "That means he is likely trying to avoid the areas with bright lights."

"This place has caves, right?" Ridge queried.

"It does," Infinite nodded. "They're usually blocked off with barricades because they are dangerous. We'll be able to find them easier if we go on the ground." That was also Infinite's way of telling Ridge to just let him go, which thankfully the older jackal did.

The pair, now on the floor, walked together and kept their eyes peeled for any potential cave sites. Infinite was able to spot one, even seeing that the barricades had been damaged to allow someone to enter the cave. "Over there," the scar-faced jackal pointed. Ridge nodded and ran with him, and the duo headed into the dark cavern where they hoped to find and rescue Tawny before anything bad happened to her.

Infinite pushed himself to run faster than Ridge, only struggling due to his torso wound which was still healing, but he suddenly skidded to a halt and gestured for Ridge to do the same. He could hear Scar's voice further ahead.

"I can think of quite a few people who would be interested in your fur, Tawny. The market for hybrids is surprisingly successful. Coyote hybrids are usually pretty common, but with stripes like yours? Nah. We usually see things like coyote-wolf hybrids, and they're pretty boring – can't even tell that they're hybrids, to be honest. But you have white stripes. That must mean you're half jackal."

Ridge turned to face Infinite, and Infinite nodded to the older jackal. They then both sprinted further into the cave, seeing that the darkness became illuminated by the light of a campfire.

"Your threats don't bother me, Scar," Tawny grumbled. "Trust me. I've dealt with your whole squad before, so why wouldn't I be able to deal with you alone?"

"I don't think you can speak so confidently when you're tied up," Scar pointed out.

"Scar!" Infinite yelled as he ran into view, leaping up and tackling the wolf to the ground. While he wrestled with the wolf, Ridge worked on untying Tawny's wrists and ankles to free her.

"Come on, kiddo, let's get you outta here," the older jackal whispered, grabbing her by the hand and running. Tawny pulled away.

"Wait, but what about Zero?!" she reacted, looking back at the canine brawl. She knew he was still wounded.

"He'll be fine," Ridge assured her. "Now, let's get going!"

Tawny pulled her hand from Ridge's grasp, shocking the older jackal slightly, but not enough to make him show it.

"I'm not ditching him," she declared, turning and marching back towards Scar and Infinite. Ridge could only watch her in surprise; she rarely showed care for other people.

"Today we finish this, Zero!" Scar grinned, holding Infinite down on his back. He used one fist to thump his bandaged body, striking him in his still-healing wound. Infinite grimaced and growled but was unable to contain his yell of pain, especially when Scar punched him again. If it weren't for this wound, he would be winning this fight for sure, considering that Scar had struggled to pin him in the first place.

"Hands off the mercenary-dise!" Tawny exclaimed, leaping forward and grabbing Scar, rolling onto the ground with him. Infinite immediately pushed himself up but found that the blows to his pre-existing wound had made things mildly worse, setting his healing back by maybe a few hours… or a day or two. Those punches had definitely split the stitches beneath his bandage and caused some bleeding.

Tawny was just punching Scar as hard as she could, but Scar didn't seem too phased by her attacks. He was able to fight back, and the fight seemed even for a moment, until Ridge stepped in to help. Ridge wrestled Scar, pulling him back by his arms as Tawny continued to punch him, but Scar shoved Ridge into her.

Infinite used this time window to drag himself to Scar's position, delivering a powerful kick to his back using both feet. The force sent Scar flying, and the partially-blind wolf struck a wall, falling to the ground. Infinite stared at his unconscious form to make sure he was out for now, all the while panting heavily from the struggle he had put himself through, until suddenly he felt something jump onto him.

Tawny.

Tawny was hugging him close, with her face buried in his shoulder happily. "Didn't think you'd discharge yourself from that hospital place just to come and rescue me," she admitted, though her tone was, as always, playful.

Infinite remained frozen for a few more seconds, still processing what was happening, before he frowned and let his ears droop, ready to push her away so that he could tell her that Ridge forced him to come along.

But he didn't push her away.

His mismatched eyes found Ridge while he stood there, in Tawny's arms, and he could see a somewhat cautious yet relieved look on the older jackal's face. How could he blame Ridge for looking a little wary, though? Ridge knew that Zero and Infinite were the same person, so seeing his daughter holding onto a murderous terror must be truly worrying for a father.

Almost as if a little intimidated by Ridge, Infinite returned his focus to Tawny and decided to rub her back, then patting it. "Scar deserves no success," was all he responded with. "He's weak."

Tawny lifted her head to look up at him with a happy smile. "You can say that again," she chuckled. Infinite just silently stared back at her, unsure of what else to say.

Maybe there wasn't anything else to be said.

Infinite tilted his head to the side a little, still staring down at Tawny oddly.

And then he smiled, but only slightly.

"Hey, don't I get a thanks?" came Ridge's voice. Tawny finally let go of Infinite and turned to face the old thief.

"Sorry," she apologized. "Thanks, dude. I was really in a bit of a pickle there."

Infinite's ear twitched as Tawny and Ridge interacted. He had heard something. It sounded like… a booster. An engine which belonged to a robot or something.

Then, at light speed, Infinite had something – someone – fly into him, grabbing him by his arms and leaving the cave just as quickly.

Infinite wriggled and growled, looking up at whoever had just snatched him from the cave. He found himself facing a silver fox with a streak of white hair upon his head, but there was something… disturbing about him.

He was partly robotic.

Before Infinite could ask any questions, the fox threw him down from the air, forcing the jackal to hit a tree. Infinite flopped to the ground and snarled, tightly closing his eyes. His wound had definitely been damaged by the impact.

The silver fox hovered to the ground – able to fly with the boosters in his robotic legs – and he started stepping towards his prey. Infinite re-opened his eyes but his vision had blurred, although he could see that the fox's right eye was black with a red iris – robotic – and it had also been scarred.

No…

" _You monster… Why are you doing this to us?"_

" _Because we're getting paid."_

Infinite tried to clear up his vision, but the time he had done so, the fox was holding him up by his throat. His chest sported some kind of metallic chest-plate with a glowing blue core in the centre, along with shoulder pads with wires coming out of them which ran down his arms, most likely enhancing his strength. His right ear was also completely robotic. All of his robotic parts and enhancements were a dim metallic green colour.

"Finally, we come face-to-face," the fox murmured. "I've been waiting so long to find you… Zero."

His suspicions were true. This was someone from his past.

A member of Fox Squad, one of the many canine squads he knew.

Fox Squad was the one group which rivalled Jackal Squad to the point where they were often evenly matched, and they could even work well together if necessary. They respected one another, but at the end of the day, a high-paying job would win the hearts of either side.

"I bet you don't even remember me," the fox continued. "You won't remember any of us, but that's fine. I've forgotten them, too." He frowned hatefully. "I just hate you for turning me into this."

The fox punched Infinite hard, causing him to bounce and slide along the forest floor. Infinite winced, but wasn't going to let the wound get to him. "You…" he growled, locking eyes with the fox. "I remember you… You're from Fox Squad… You were their final member…"

"Oh, I'm not Mercury anymore," the fox corrected before Infinite could continue. "Mercury died when you and your squad mates sliced him with your bladed weapons. No… I've been reborn into someone else. To you, and to everyone else on this ruined planet, my name is Remnant."

Of course, it would be something dramatic like that.

Remnant began making his way closer to Infinite, with the jackal now on his feet, prepared to defend himself. He knew he probably couldn't do much against Remnant, given the fact that he was enhanced by robotic parts, but he would never surrender to anybody.

"Remnant…" Infinite repeated to himself, taking a few steps back to keep the fox at a distance. "Care to explain how you're alive?"

"I'm surprised you were never told of my own survival," Remnant commented, creepily tilting his head to the side. "The doctor, the man you worked for back then, found me alive. I simply told him that I wanted to get revenge on the last two members of Fox Squad who had lived, so he gave me these enhancements." A smirk spread across his face. "Now he wants me to finish off one of his other mercenary experiments: Infinite."

Did he… know that Infinite and Zero were the same person?

Remnant let out a chuckle. "I never thought you'd gain such a reputation, but now you've fallen from power, Zero."

He knew.

Remnant flew towards him, ready to bring his fist into his face, but Infinite was quick to duck, causing the fox to punch a tree. There was no way Infinite could fight him and live, so he had to make a tactical retreat. He began running, but Remnant caught up with him easily, making the chase even more painful by flying beside Infinite as he ran.

"How does it feel to be weak?!" the silver fox snapped, then barging into Infinite so he fell to the ground. Next, he landed on him, standing upon the jackal with his pair of robotic legs. "How does it feel to be beaten down until you are nothing?"

"I don't regret what I did to you," Infinite spat fiercely, his limbs tensing up and stretching from the pain he was currently in. "We followed our orders and we were paid for our services."

"You're about to meet the same fate as those other foxes," Remnant announced, pressing his feet harder into Infinite, coming close to breaking some bones. But, suddenly, he stepped back and away from the jackal. "You know, Zero, when the doctor told me to dispose of Infinite, I thought I would be given a challenge, but here you are, weaker than ever. I think I'll let you live to see the start of the second war."

"The doctor's in jail…" Infinite snarled, twisting over onto his front and pushing his weight up with his arms.

"Not anymore," Remnant chuckled darkly.

Remnant had freed him.

"You…" Infinite rasped. "I'll crush you, you vermin… No amount of enhancements will be able to restore you when I'm done with you…"

Remnant could only laugh.

Infinite really had to remember that he just wasn't as threatening as he used to be, especially when he was still wounded.

"I'm going to enjoy staring down at you as the world burns, Zero," the fox stated. "I'll make you beg for death before I finish you."

"Zero!" yelled Tawny. "Dude! Yell for us, will ya?!"

Infinite's ears perked and he froze. He wasn't going to let Tawny know he was here.

But Remnant had other plans.

Remnant grabbed Infinite by his arms and held him in place, leaning over his shoulder. "Go on," he whispered with a maniacal grin. "Call for her."

"No," Infinite hissed through his teeth. Clearly this answer didn't please Remnant, so the fox instead put most of his enhancement power into his arm, swiftly and heavily bringing it into Infinite's bandaged wound, even dragging his fox claws down to open it even more. Infinite could not contain his yell of pain, which echoed through the forest and bounced off the tree trunks.

"That's better," Remnant reacted quietly. "And now we wait."

Infinite stood shaking, still in Remnant's arms, taking in rapid and shaky breaths. He was bleeding badly again. If Tawny showed up, he was in no fit state to even slow Remnant down to get him away from her. He was close to succumbing to his wound so that he would fall unconscious.

"This way!" Tawny's voice exclaimed, most likely to Ridge, as she grew closer and closer, pushing her way through bushes and leaves before freezing on the spot. Both her and Remnant stared at each other, and even as Ridge made his appearance, Remnant's eyes remained on Tawny.

"Mercury…" the coyote-hybrid wavered. She recognised him, even in his cybernetic state.

"Tawny, stand back…" Ridge whispered to her, putting his arm in front of her like any protective father would.

"Well, isn't this interesting?" Remnant grinned. "I didn't know you made friends with her, Zero."

"How do you… know him…?" Tawny asked slowly. "How are you… Why are you…?"

"You have no idea, do you, my precious little jewel?" Remnant snickered. "This jackal is a monster. You couldn't begin to imagine what guilt he carries."

"What the hell are you up to, Mercury?" Ridge spoke up, narrowing his eyes at the fox.

"Nothing… yet," Remnant smirked, throwing Infinite to the ground. Infinite coughed heavily while feeling a burning sensation in his throat, with Remnant's focus still being on Tawny. "Sorry, my love, but you remind me too much of my past-self. The one who cared for you. The one who was weak. You have to go."

Remnant started walking closer, easily batting Ridge away with his arm as Infinite could only watch. Tawny was clearly still in too much shock to even try fighting back. Mercury was her lover, and here he was as a monster trying to kill her.

 _Kali had been knocked back, and then Shadow kicked her hard to knock her off the edge – just where Striker had fallen._

 _Zero wasn't going to let that happen._

 _Kali was clinging to the edge for dear life, staring up with wide eyes at Shadow as he approached her._

 _Zero ran as fast as he could, raising his sword to strike Shadow in the back with it, but the black hedgehog knew he was coming. Without even taking his eyes off Kali, Shadow held out his fist and let it collide with Zero's face._

 _Darkness._

Without even realising it, Infinite had let out a primal scream of rage and had jumped on Remnant's back despite his own health status. He used every last drop of his strength to wrestle Remnant to the ground and was successfully able to pin him, but not for long enough. Remnant had flipped them over and was now holding Infinite against the ground, and all he could do was laugh at the jackal's savage expression.

"Oh, I get it," he mused. "You're a little ticked off about what happened to your girlfriend, aren't you? I heard all about that from the doctor." His words weren't making Infinite act any more civilised. "Would I be right in assuming that you feel the same way about Tawny? Hm? Do you care about her like you did Kali?"

Infinite slashed his clawed hand down Remnant's face, but it barely even made him flinch. Remnant snarled but maintained a sadistic grin, then suddenly sinking his canine teeth into Infinite's shoulder. The jackal yelled again, thrashing to get away from his brutal attacker.

"Leave him alone!" Tawny hollered, pulling her former partner back, but Remnant only struck her across the face. Tawny fell to the ground, holding her cheek, and Remnant stared down at her before frowning.

"You're all so weak," he growled. "I think I'll save your deaths for when the doctor devastates the world again. You'll all watch each other die soon enough."

And with that, the fox disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Ridge was now up and he ran immediately to Tawny rather than Infinite, who was clearly more wounded. "Are you okay?" he asked his daughter who he had still not confessed his relation to.

"I'm f-fine," Tawny stuttered, keeping her eyes locked onto Infinite, who was still lying on his back. Both she and Ridge made their way over to him, helping him sit up.

"Any idea what just happened, Zero?" Ridge questioned as Infinite panted in an attempt to catch his breath.

"Don't force him to talk, look at the state he's in," Tawny shot to him immediately, but her expression seemed to shift slightly. "But… how did he know who you were?"

"Long… story…" Infinite exhaled between desperate gasps for air.

"He needs help," Ridge noticed. "Let's get him back to the hospital." Infinite actually let out a groan to show his dislike for the place as Ridge lifted him up with Tawny's help, both individuals supporting the jackal so that he could stand. "No need to whine about it, kiddo…"

"This is all Scar's fault…" Tawny spat in the most hateful tone of voice Infinite had heard her use. "He brought me out here. He forced Zero to come here when he was still recovering. If it weren't for him, Zero would still be recovering and we'd all be fine."

"Somehow I doubt that," Ridge admitted. "Mercury… he seems like someone prepared to cause a lotta trouble."

"That's not the Mercury I once knew…" Tawny sighed. "It's… not even the moron I thought he turned into after we went our separate ways. He's… a brutal monster. He's… like Infinite…"

Like Infinite?

…She had a point.

Infinite became a monster. He had to admit that to himself now. He wasn't just some super strong jackal, but a merciless killer who enjoyed hurting people.

Remnant was exactly the same.

Both canines had come from destroyed squads, and as a result of being survivors, they had been turned into weapons by the doctor. They were reborn as new individuals.

Infinite had bad feelings about what the future now had in store for him…

 **~End of Chapter~**


	14. The New Threat

**~The New Threat~**

Both Ridge and Tawny sat beside Infinite's bed once he was settled back in the temporary hospital, and they couldn't help but be slightly amused by the jackal's irritation at being in the setup for a third time. Still, there was still some tension in the air as they all knew that Remnant was still out there, ready to cause trouble with the now-loose Doctor Eggman.

"I can't believe Mercury became some weird cyber-fox thing," Tawny sighed. "I knew he was a jerk, but not _that_ much of a jerk."

Infinite didn't look at her. He couldn't.

What happened to Mercury was his fault.

" _You monster… Why are you doing this to us?"_

" _Because we're getting paid."_

"Zero?" Tawny spoke up, her voice forcing Infinite to look in her direction. "How come you knew who Mercury was? You two interacted like you had some past together or something."

"He was part of Fox Squad…" Infinite growled quietly. He didn't want to delve into the whole story just yet…

"Oh, he must've joined them after we went our separate ways," Tawny nodded with understanding. "Not surprised. What a jerk he was. …No offense to you, of course, Zero. I know you were in a similar squad and everything."

"None taken…" Infinite grumbled, though he remained unamused. There was definitely some offense taken.

"So, were you like friends or what?" Tawny pushed.

Nope. He was not talking about it.

"Can't say…" Infinite replied. "It's… complicated…"

"Don't force anything outta him, Tawny," Ridge said to the coyote-hybrid. Maybe he knew that Infinite was hiding something, and perhaps knew it was best for Tawny not to find out something so soon, or maybe he was just concerned for Infinite due to his injury.

"Alright, alright," Tawny exhaled, rolling her eyes.

"Anyways, I'm gonna go," Ridge declared, standing up from his seat. Tawny tilted her head.

"You're leaving?" she asked him, almost sounding disappointed.

"I've got things to do, kid," Ridge shrugged. "Besides, I'm still a wanted man around these parts. Can't stick around for too long."

"But… I'll see you again, right?" Tawny queried. Ridge's proud smirk faded from his face. The way she said that made it sound like she knew that he was her father…

Ridge's smirk returned to his face as he winked. "Sure," he answered. "I'll return soon. We should probably work together to tackle Remnant, anyway."

"Right," Tawny nodded slowly. "Well… don't get your butt kicked too hard by anybody, okay?"

"Nobody's ever kicked my butt too hard," Ridge chuckled, then playfully saluting. "I'll catch you kids later. Keep safe."

And with that, Ridge had left, leaving Tawny and Infinite alone together.

Yet… it wasn't awkward.

They knew each other now. They had spent a lot of time together. This wasn't like before when Tawny was just dragging Infinite alongside her out of pity; this was now… a true friendship.

"So, do you think Doctor Eggman's gonna re-use his Metal Infinite?" Tawny questioned, leaning back in her chair.

"I cannot be sure…" Infinite responded in a slow, mildly pained way. "He doesn't seem to have the real Infinite by his side anymore…"

"Fair point," Tawny agreed. "I wonder where that guy disappeared to…"

"Null Space…" Infinite falsely guessed. "Or perhaps he was just killed…"

"Who knows?" Tawny reacted, shrugging her shoulders. "Let's just hope the real Infinite doesn't join forces with Mercury… I mean Remnant. That'd be a little too much to handle."

"Yeah…" Infinite could only say. It would be tough, but not for him, because he would be on the stronger side.

Tawny gave Infinite a thoughtful glance as the air once again fell silent, and she then gave him a nudge, causing him to flinch. Being shaken, even only lightly, was still not good for his wound.

"Hey," the hybrid said quietly. "When you get a little better, you should come back to my place again. It's… surprisingly lonely without you there. I kinda miss… finding all my food stored in the same cupboard."

Was it… not all supposed to go in the same place?

Wait, no, why was he focusing on that? Tawny wanted him back in her house. She missed his presence.

…So, how long would she want him there for? Forever?

…Was she asking him to live with her?

…Well, it was a nice house. Better than anywhere else he'd lived, really.

Definitely better than the hospital.

"That… was probably a weird thing for me to say," Tawny then spoke up as her ears awkwardly flopped. However, her ears then perked back up. "Oh! Hey, I found this book over on the little bookshelf they have for the other patients. Scooch over so I can show you it, it's a doozy."

Infinite rolled his eyes. This small bed barely fit one person on it, but before he could even begin moving over, Tawny was already beside him making herself comfortable – and taking up room.

"Check it out," Tawny pointed, holding the book open. "It's all about the echidnas and the big Master Emerald thing. Doesn't one guy guard that thing now? It must be so easy to steal!"

From what he knew, it actually was pretty easy to steal.

"I've heard stories…" Infinite chose to comment without realising it. "The echidna who guards that stone often loses it to his foes…"

"Really?!" laughed Tawny.

"Yes," Infinite assured her. He remembered the echidna: Knuckles. He was the leader of the Resistance. He led the army which brought him down.

No doubt the Master Emerald was stolen while he was leading such a cause.

"Then, maybe I won't have such a hard time trynna take it for myself!" Tawny laughed. While the comment did somewhat amuse the jackal, he was still wary of his surroundings.

"Oh, please, do say that louder so that the former members of the Resistance can hear you," he grumbled. Tawny merely tilted her head.

"What's the deal?" she reacted. Infinite rolled his eyes.

"That echidna was the Resistance leader," he whispered. "Many here will know him, so threatening to steal from him will not be tolerated."

"Urgh, killjoys," Tawny murmured, closing the book before placing it on the bedside table. "Well, now I'm tired."

Oh, Infinite knew what else she was going to say, judging by her oh-so-comfortable expression.

"I think I'm just gonna take a nap here, if you don't mind," Tawny continued, making herself even more comfortable. "It's been a really long day."

"This bed is designed for one…" Infinite was about to go on, but Tawny just closed her eyes and waved her hand passively at him.

"Yeah, yeah, tell me when I'm awake," she yawned.

 _Great._

Within but a few minutes, the coyote-jackal was peacefully sleeping, much to Infinite's annoyance. He wanted to sleep, too, but she had made herself so comfortable that she was practically pushing the wounded canine out of his own bed. Thus, Infinite decided to push back for room, feeling like he should be dominant since he was under the blanket while Tawny was simply lying upon it.

For a moment, Infinite had triumphed. He was comfortable. The bed was his again, and she had been pushed back. But, to provoke him further, the sleeping Tawny stirred and rolled over, snuggling into his side.

 _Real great._

She was now holding onto him, nuzzling her smile-covered muzzle just under his own. The striped jackal bared his teeth and snarled, trying to push her back, but whatever she was dreaming about must've been too intense. She was holding onto him like her life depended on it… or like someone who was cuddling some big teddy bear.

"Zero! Tawny!" waved Ace as he ran over to the bed. He didn't seem injured, meaning that he probably did – as commanded by Infinite – tell the other children that he knew who Infinite was. He had used the ability to control fear to protect himself.

He learned from the best, of course.

"I see you are no longer being attacked by those children," the older jackal observed.

"I did what you said!" Ace sang. "I told them I knew Infinite!" His tail had been wagging, but then it stopped and his dears slowly pointed downwards. "But… it was kinda hard. I wanted to be friends with everyone so bad, but… they just didn't like me."

"The world is cruel," Infinite repeated to him.

Ace then clambered up onto the bed, making Infinite grimace as he was now sandwiched between Tawny and the child.

Why did things turn out like this again?

Honestly, he wasn't sure if any shred of Infinite remained with him anymore. Infinite would kill anyone who got too close to him. Even Zero would refuse to show a soft and affectionate side.

Just who was he now, in this moment? Zero or Infinite?

" _Boss…"_

 _The world around him had changed within minutes, from him being in a hospital bed to standing on a hill as the city before him burned._

" _This is what you wanted, right, boss?"_

 _Beside him stood Striker, much to his surprise._

" _You joined Eggman to watch the world burn. You never even told us that, you just… decided that we should help him destroy everything."_

" _The world was boring," Infinite excused, not facing his comrade. "I wanted to see a change."_

" _It's still boring," Striker corrected. "Everything's gone back to normal. But I guess things will be changing pretty soon."_

 _Infinite narrowed his eyes and turned to look at Striker. "What do you mean?" he questioned._

" _That darn fox," Striker rasped. "We didn't kill them all. This is what happens when we leave survivors – they come back and bite us in the tail."_

" _I heard him say there were two others," Infinite recalled. "How incompetent must you be to not check on the fallen enemies?"_

" _Hey, you were there, too," Striker snapped. "Besides, we killed their leader. And, if you ask me, ten outta thirteen is pretty good."_

" _We had them in a room, cornered, caught off guard and leaderless," Infinite pointed out. "They should've all been killed."_

" _You tell me why we failed," Striker shrugged. "This conversation is in your head, after all. I'm dead and gone, really. You're just talking to yourself."_

 _Right._

" _That doesn't help," was all Infinite hissed in response, folding his arms. "I want to take down that fox, and I'll go after the other two once he's dead."_

" _Would that be worth it?" Striker queried, raising a brow. "If Remnant wants those other foxes dead, they're no longer on the same side. I doubt the other two will want to cause this much destruction. They might even be good guys now."_

" _That's still a problem," Infinite snarled through his teeth. "They still know me. They know my face, and no doubt they will want revenge on me just as much as Remnant does."_

" _If you kill them, you'll only remain as a villain," Striker pointed out._

" _And why should that be a concern to me?" Infinite asked him._

" _Because as much as you wanna believe you're Infinite, you're not," Striker stated. "You're not the villain anymore. Perhaps you may be a criminal, but you're no villain. Besides… what would Tawny think of you? And Ace?"_

" _They won't need to know," Infinite snapped immediately._

" _Killing two foxes out of fear isn't something you can hide easily," Striker continued. "You're not doing it for money or for war. You're doing it because you can."_

" _They'll never know," Infinite insisted._

" _You'll be locked up for doing such a thing," Striker pushed. "Do you really want that to happen to you?"_

" _Shut your mouth, already!" Infinite snapped suddenly, grabbing Striker and throwing him as hard as he could, watching as he fell from the hilltop to the burning darkness below._

 _A sinister laughter could be heard, which made Infinite clench his fists, but as he turned around to challenge whoever it was, he found himself staring into that mask._

 _He was facing himself._

 _The other Infinite held his hand forwards. "You and I are still one," he noted. "Let us watch the world burn as we did when Sonic was out of our way."_

 _Infinite stared at himself, silent, before scowling. "I don't follow orders," he replied._

" _Not even from yourself?" the masked Infinite queried in a sly tone._

 _Not even from himself._

 _Wow, he really was lost._

While sleeping, Infinite had actually wrapped his arms around Tawny like a frightened child. He was desperate to find himself and reclaim his identity, but his identity has been shattered into tiny fragments. He couldn't go on like this, thinking like Infinite while acting like Zero, or thinking like Zero and acting like Infinite. His mind was constantly changing. He just wanted to find out how to be himself.

His eyes slowly cracked open as he escaped from his apocalyptic nightmare, though he still seemed quite dazed. It took him a good few seconds for him to realise that he was actually gripping onto Tawny, but even as he realised it, he didn't let go. He just… stared at her.

Tawny shifted a little, but in her sleeping state she could tell that something was holding her tightly, which prompted her to awaken. Her reaction was no different to Infinite's. They just… stared at each other.

"Uh…" Tawny could only react with before she finally decided to speak. "Are you okay there, Zero?"

Oh no.

 _Conversation._

Infinite wriggled away from her but couldn't go far due to Ace, who was cuddling into his back while sleeping soundly. "I'm fine," the jackal assured her, forcing his eyes to look elsewhere.

"You looked a little scared for a moment," Tawny admitted, sitting herself up. "Are you sure you're okay? Bad dream or something?"

"Tch, I'm not a child," Infinite grumbled, also choosing to sit up. Without even realising it, he had pulled Ace up with him and was holding him close. He looked ready to hear a response from Tawny, but she was now more focused on the fact that he was holding Ace close.

"Since when did you get all chummy with the kid?" she questioned. Infinite's ears stood tall and his eyes were once again wide. He gazed down at Ace as if he were holding a bomb.

Now what?

Pushing him away would wake him up, or even hurt him, so he could only keep holding him. Tawny could see the mental struggle and she chose to laugh at the sight.

"You're such a softy," she chuckled.

N… No he wasn't…

"Hmph," the jackal huffed. "I'll show you how soft I am once we're not in public, hybrid."

…Wait.

That… That didn't sound right.

"…Allow me to rephrase that."

It was no use. Tawny was already laughing, and she nudged Infinite's shoulder playfully. "Naww, you know I'm not gonna make fun of ya," she assured him. "We're pals, after all."

 _Pals…_

How could he stay friends with her? How could he continue to spend time with her as if the "masked monster" never existed? Remnant was going to reveal his identity to the world at some point. He was going to tell everyone that Infinite and Zero were one in the same, and shortly after that he would wreak havoc on the city. Tawny, Ace and Ridge would all be hurt or killed, and even if he wanted to, he couldn't stop it.

By then he probably would be dead, anyway. Someone would kill Infinite while he was weak.

The black-furred jackal shook his head. "Tawny," he began. "…I doubt the near future is going to be pleasant."

"Well, duh, my ex-boyfriend is coming after us with robotic enhancements and Eggman," Tawny pointed out. "You don't suppose he's jealous or something, do ya? He always came across as being that kinda guy."

Infinite grabbed her wrist as tightly as he could, which definitely caught her attention. She knew this was serious.

Infinite struggled to speak, and it was visibly clear that this was happening as his mouth twitched, attempting to form a sentence. Thankfully, after a good few moments of choking on his own words, Infinite was able to speak.

"…This is my fault."

Tawny stared at him, her ears twitching oddly. "I… I'm not following," she reacted weirdly. "What's your fault?"

 _Tell her._

 _Tell her you're Infinite._

 _Tell her you were the one who took over the world with Eggman._

"…I am responsible for the damage done to Remnant."

…Well, it was a start.

Tawny blinked and cocked her head to the side, her eyes never leaving Infinite. "…Wait, what?" she replied. "Zero, what in the name of Chaos, happened between you and Mercury?"

Infinite glanced around at his surroundings, and then leaned in close to her ear so that he could whisper.

"I'll tell you everything once I am free from this place," he promised. "…I suppose it's only fair that you know everything that you deserve know."

Tawny definitely seemed uncomfortable with this sudden shift in tone, but she nodded her head. "Alright," she agreed. "…But for now, let's just put this tension on hold, okay?"

"As you wish," Infinite grumbled, looking back down at Ace in his arms.

Everything here was something that he could very easily lose one way or another: either he could let them all down as Remnant mercilessly brought an end to their lives, or the truth of his own identity could be spilled and they would both abandon him. Tawny may even sic Ridge onto him.

Right now, he had to recover and hope that nothing happened. When he had recovered enough strength to move properly again, he returned to Tawny's house with her. Ace, of course, stayed in the temporary hospital.

The whole story had to be told.

Tawny deserved to know what happened to Mercury.

This would take him another step closer to gaining her trust. If she, Ridge and Ace all trusted him…

…It wouldn't be like a family, it would just be interesting.

He sat upon the couch, mentally noting down how Tawny had fixed up the place after it was raided by Scar. His eyes immediately found his old mask, once again propped up on a trophy shelf not too far from him. He wanted to put it back on just to feel like something again. Just something. But without the ruby, there was no point.

If he had both, he would do it…

But for what reason?

"Sugar?" Tawny called from the kitchen.

"No," Infinite answered immediately. At least now he knew that she wasn't calling him-

"Rude, I was gonna ask if you wanted some cookies," Tawny pouted as she peeped her head into the living room.

… _Hold up._

 _What?_

"Then why did you ask if I wanted sugar?" Infinite grumbled. Why was this phrasing such a problem for him?

"I didn't" Tawny laughed playfully, unable to hide her smile. "I was calling you 'sugar' that time. So, do you want some cookies, sugar?"

Infinite's ears went flat and he didn't even answer her. He just stared at her. Why? Why was this happening to him? Why was he being given… a cute little name like that? He was Infinite, and if not Infinite, then he was Zero, and if neither, then he was somewhere in between.

In short: he was no 'sugar'.

"I'm getting cookies for ya, anyway," Tawny decided for him, zipping back into the kitchen before coming back with a tray which carried two cups of tea and a plate of cookies. Tawny must have been nervous about finding out what happened with Mercury.

Tawny set the tray down on the coffee table and sat beside Infinite, with her focus completely on him now. There was still some smugness upon her face from her clever little comment.

"Alright, sugar, tell me what happened between you and my ex," she said playfully.

Okay, maybe she wasn't nervous.

"Call me 'sugar' again and I'll do to you what I did to Mercury," Infinite snarled, but his threat carried no weight. Not in Tawny's eyes, at least.

"Go ahead, it seemed to improve him greatly," Tawny retorted.

That… he couldn't really argue with.

Still, she was missing the point.

Infinite just rolled his eyes. "Be quiet now," he commanded. "I expect you to take everything I tell you with complete seriousness."

"Alright, alright, I'm listening," Tawny mumbled, reaching for a cookie and munching on it.

Perhaps she truly was nervous, after all. She definitely seemed to be stress eating.

"Good," Infinite simply nodded.

He was going to explain it to her before Remnant himself revealed what happened. No doubt he would try doing that to turn Tawny and Infinite against each other, and Infinite couldn't have that. If he were to be alone, he would be much more vulnerable.

So… he was going to tell her of the day which ended Fox Squad.

 **~End of Chapter~**


	15. Squad 13

**~Squad 13~**

Every jackal in Jackal Squad was tense. Zero could just tell. Nobody was speaking – not even Striker, who was always coming out with amusing quips. Or Kali, who always wanted to make sure Zero was okay. And Barrett, who often jumped on any discussion started by Striker.

Even Zero didn't feel too sure about what was going to happen next, but it had to be done. They were getting paid, and if he showed uncertainty, then his squad would collapse. They may even die in the fight if Fox Squad – or Squad 13, as they became known as once their final member, Mercury the Silver Fox, joined – caught wind of what was being done.

The doctor had left a threatening message to Blizzard, who was the second-in-command of the group. He had told them that their leader, River the Tibetan Sand Fox, was being held in an old isolated factory which hadn't been used in years.

That was a lie.

River was already dead. Zero had killed him himself, and that was… painful. River was his rival. The fox was a good few years older than Zero, but the rivalry between them was… friendly. River would always express how proud he was of Zero's growth. He had watched him start in the squad from a much younger age.

…And Zero couldn't help but think of River as family, either,

His real father was the worst. He turned Zero into a monster. Zero's lust for blood came from what his father would put him through. While this could be seen as something which worked out in his favour, it wouldn't have hurt to just have a father-figure show some care every now and then.

The only father-figure he had was gone now, and it was all his fault.

Yet it wasn't over.

River's entire squad was about to come into the isolated facility in search for their leader, but all they were going to find was the end of their story.

All members of Squad 13 would die.

A part of Zero hoped that Blizzard would be as smart as River. No way would River fall for such a trick. If Blizzard could see that this was a trap, then he would not lead his squad here. Then nobody would have to die.

"Boss," came Null's voice, of all people who could be speaking up to him as the group waited on the high metal beams. "Are we really doing this? Are we really destroying Fox Squad?"

"If they come here, then we must," Zero stated, keeping his eyes down below to watch for any unsuspecting foxes entering the building. "The doctor has hired us as his personal defence squad for his facility in Mystic Jungle. Our job is important, and if we are to get paid, then we must prove ourselves."

"Does he not believe we're professional mercenaries?" Null questioned. "We came so close to killing him after infiltrating his base. Surely that experience alone would prove to him that we're good at what we do."

"It's not about that," Zero corrected. "He wants to see how loyal we are. Naturally, anyone would be wary of a group which had previously tried to cause them damage." The jackal narrowed his eyes as his tail swished slowly from side-to-side. "He also wants to see if we are fighters who do not hesitate no matter what. That man is well aware of our friendly rivalry with the foxes. If he wants us to protect his base, then he wants to make sure that we will prevent anyone from getting inside – even those we may consider as our friends."

"I still don't get why we didn't just kill the man like we planned to," Blank huffed. "How can you even be okay with doing this, boss?"

"Oh, please, we all saw this day coming," Anubis interjected irritably. "Our squads have been rivals for years, yet nobody ever hired us to go after each other. If we were unlucky, then Squad 13 would be the ones waiting in here while we blindly wandered inside searching for Zero."

Zero then held up his hand to silence everyone from arguing, his eyes locked on the main heavy door below. He heard it creak. He heard a loud "click", and watched as the door began to slowly open.

They were here.

The one to enter first was, of course, Blizzard the Arctic Fox. The other foxes followed behind, with their eyes peeled and weapons ready.

"River!" called out Thorn the Bengal Fox – one of the skilled fighters in the squad. "You in here?!"

"Quiet down," hissed Crimson the Red Fox – another tough fighter. "There could be anyone in here. Why else would it be so unguarded?"

"Yeah, something's not right," added Mercury the Silver Fox. "It's almost like this could be a trap or something, Blizzard."

"Then keep your eyes peeled and your ears on point," Blizzard commanded.

None of the jackals had jumped down yet. They should have jumped down immediately, but they didn't. There was a plan they were supposed to be following, but nobody had jumped.

The only one who could jump down, to start this battle, was Zero.

And that's exactly what he did.

The moment he jumped down was the moment when everyone else played their parts.

"Zero?!" Blizzard reacted, surprised to see that the leader of Jackal Squad was here. None of the foxes were even aware of their recent alliance with Doctor Eggman. Still, they knew that Zero never came alone, so they were fully ready to see the other jackals appear.

"What are you doing here, Zero?" asked Crimson.

"If there's a bounty on River's head, you can get lost," Thorn threatened, folding his arms.

"Hey, you never know," shrugged the fennec fox known as Sandy. "Maybe Zero's here to help us get River back."

"I doubt it," spat Blizzard.

The door behind them could suddenly be heard closing, which confirmed Blizzard's suspicions. Striker and Barrett had closed the heavy door and locked it, meaning that there was no escape for Squad 13 now. There would be no going back.

Blizzard took a step back when realising what was going on, but Zero only stepped closer with his red sword at the ready. The rest of his squad joined him as they, despite being outnumbered themselves, surrounded the foxes.

 _No going back._

They couldn't even speak to Squad 13 for a final time. There was no word exchange between them. That would only give them time to prepare and fight back.

It had to be done now.

Zero darted forwards and into the group, and his squad did the same. Swords and daggers and knives, all finding a fox to strike. Despite the fact that these foxes all had guns, they just weren't prepared for the attack. Not only that, but their numbers meant nothing; individuals such as Sandy, Nippy and Scrub just weren't fighters, while everyone in Jackal Squad could fight with ease.

Nobody even knew who they were fighting. Zero had struck down Blizzard and just went after anyone who was still standing. He was seeing red, and no doubt the other jackals saw the same.

The foxes fell one by one, with the tougher ones falling last.

The last one standing was Mercury.

Mercury, the newest member of the squad. A former bounty hunter who had narrowly escaped death many times, but today was not going to be one of those times. Fox Squad was foolish enough to spare him and let him join their squad, but Jackal Squad would do no such thing. What Fox Squad did only delayed Mercury's eventual execution. That silver fox was doomed to be killed by someone who was hired to go after him, like how he had killed many in the same way.

Honestly, watching Mercury fend off seven jackals was quite a sight. None of the other foxes had done this. Not even Blizzard, who was essentially the group's leader when River wasn't present.

But Mercury couldn't keep going. After Anubis threw one of his throwing knives into the fox's ear, he had made an attempt to flee using a grappling hook, hoping to crash through a window, but Zero wasn't going to let that happen. He bounced up and sliced the grapple's wire, causing Mercury to crash into the ground below. The silver fox made the mistake of trying to land on his legs, which only resulted in him wailing in agony as he collapsed. He wouldn't be standing up now, which made Zero's job much easier.

The silver fox made an attempt to get up despite the pain, trying to support himself against any object he could find, but Zero slashed his claws as hard as he could down his face. Mercury howled in pain, and judging by the fact that eye never reopened, Zero knew exactly what he did to it.

Mercury tried to crawl away desperately with tears in his one remaining eye. He was never much of an emotional guy, so Zero could easily identify this new expression as one of defeat. Mercury was definitely aware that his time was up, and he was scared.

Zero pressed his foot into Mercury's back to stop him from moving. He watched as Mercury trembled and flinched, closing his last eye tightly. The fox just didn't want to believe that his end was here.

"You're a bounty hunter," Zero snarled. "You have killed many people without mercy. At least face your death like your own victims did."

Mercury tried to lift his head, but his shaking suddenly stopped. His tears stopped falling. Even his shaky breaths stopped inflating his lungs. For a second, he was frozen, and then he fell limp as if nothing in his body wanted to support him.

Zero raised a brow, removing his foot slowly to see if Mercury would try to move again. He didn't. As another test, Zero kicked his damaged legs as hard as he could. Nothing.

The impact from the fall must have killed him, or maybe even the trauma dealt to his eye.

The jackal turned to the other members of his squad. "We're done here," he declared. "Now, let's report this back to the doctor."

The others followed him but said nothing. They glanced from fox to fox on the way out, letting the sudden events sink into their brains. They had just slaughtered twelve foxes (excluding River, who had been killed beforehand), and they had only done it for some lonely fat man who wanted to test their loyalty.

Later on, Zero would return alone with the doctor to show him what had been done. The foxes were still there, lying lifeless, and Zero could only blankly look at each one and remind himself of who they were.

Nippy the Swift Fox, a kid who really shouldn't have involved himself in this life but no doubt had nowhere else to go.

Dune the Pale Fox, another young fox whose skills were not in fighting but rather in tracking and mechanics.

Cliff the Blanford's Fox, a fox who wasn't young but he was definitely no fighter – he was the squad's leading intelligence and tech guy.

Thorn the Bengal Fox, one of the skilled fighters who his own squad mates knew well.

Crimson the Red Fox, an even tougher and angrier fighter who Striker used to love provoking.

Scrub the Kit Fox, yet another young fox, older than Nippy, who was more of a mechanic and treasure hunter than a fighter.

Rock the Ruppell's Fox, the group's tough guy and brute strength.

Silk the Corsac Fox, a female fox who dressed snazzy and killed her targets in the most sophisticated manner.

Mini the Cape Fox, a hunter and a fighter who, looking back at this memory, now reminds him of a certain coyote-hybrid. Her beige fur, her dark brown hair, her smug grin and playful remarks…

…That was nine.

There was supposed to be twelve.

"Where are the other three?" the doctor asked with annoyance clear in his voice.

"Nobody escaped while we attacked," Zero explained.

"Well, your attack clearly didn't finish them off!" the doctor snapped.

"They won't be getting far," Zero assured him. "Mercury's legs were broken, Blizzard was a priority target and Sandy was weak."

There was… some kind of lie in that statement. Blizzard was Zero's target. He fought him quickly and beat him to the ground. He mocked him as his eyes were closing.

But he knew he hadn't killed him.

In his mind, he had simply told himself that Blizzard would die from his wounds, but in reality, he couldn't bring himself to do it. The pain of killing River was still with him, and it didn't feel right to kill his successor.

As for Sandy, Zero definitely didn't intend to let him live. He was just another small fox who couldn't fight, so everyone must have assumed he went down as easily as the others, but he probably barely received any wounds at all.

No doubt Sandy escaped just fine, and hopefully he had brought Blizzard with him. Blizzard's wounds were severe and they needed treating.

And, the third fox…

 _No, he couldn't lie to himself. He knew exactly what happened to Mercury._

Movement could be seen in the corner of Zero's eye, and he immediately held his sword at the ready. He watched as Mercury pushed himself up to his feet and staggered towards the pair with his… broken legs?

Pain was definitely in Mercury's eyes, but Zero had seriously underestimated him. He was someone who could put up with pain better than the others, which is why he was still feigning death even after his broken legs were kicked.

And the doctor could see Mercury's potential already.

"So, you're the only survivor who remains in this building," the doctor grinned as he watched Mercury fall to the ground. Obviously, he couldn't just walk on broken legs like it was nothing, so falling was inevitable. "Are you going to make one final move to avenge your squad?"

"No…" Mercury rasped hatefully, glaring up at the moustached man. "Blizzard… Sandy… they abandoned me…"

The doctor raised an eyebrow and then glanced to Zero, gesturing for him to put his sword away. Zero knew that this meant that the man was planning on doing something with Mercury which didn't involve killing him… yet, at least.

"Abandoned, hm?" the scientist grinned.

"Yes…" Mercury growled. "Help me… and I'll help you… I'll rip those two to pieces, whatever it takes…"

Zero didn't seem to trust Mercury. He had seen this before. Mercury would run away as soon as he had recovered, and he would reunite with the two survivors. It was a clever survival trick, but it was something Zero had seen before – and even done himself.

The doctor smirked and stroked his moustache. "Very well. I think I know just what to do with you…"

Mercury was taken back to the doctor's facility in Mystic Jungle, but Zero warned him of what Mercury's plan could be. The doctor didn't seem too surprised, simply telling Zero that he wasn't going to let Mercury get away so easily. Mercury was kept in one of the prison cells, and from there… things for him got worse.

All Mercury wanted to do was heal. Zero knew that. That's why he wasn't surprised to hear him crying as he passed by his cell one day while going to find the rest of his squad to go on guard duty.

"Zero!" he cried out to him. Zero stopped walking and turned to face the fox, seeing that he was still on the ground with broken legs and blood around his right eye and right ear. The doctor wasn't healing him, but he was keeping him for something.

Mercury grabbed the bars of his cell and stared at the jackal with the vacant expression. "Please, Zero… You know that this is wrong! I know you would never do this! Please, just let me outta here! I'll pay you and your entire squad, I'll do whatever I can to help you! Just… please… don't do this…"

Zero stared at him, silent for a moment, before he continued walking. "I've already made my choice," he said as he left, "and I'm ready to face the consequences."

…Well, now he definitely regretted saying those words. No doubt Mercury would remember that phrase, even as he became Remnant.

 _Remnant._

Zero would still see Mercury from time to time, and if he couldn't see him then he could definitely hear him screaming from on of the doctor's lab rooms.

" _Not my legs! Please, they'll get better! I just need some more time to heal!"_

" _You said you'd do whatever it takes to destroy those last survivors, so I'm simply giving you a hand. …Or two new legs, heh heh!"_

The sound of some kind of ripsaw charging up made Zero grimace as he continued on his way, and he did everything he could to ignore the fading sounds of Mercury's screams of agony. He knew what was going on in there.

It was one day, not long before the fall of Jackal Squad, when Zero passed by Mercury's cell for a final time. He was only able to glance inside, but he definitely saw something… unusual. Mercury was curled up in the cell's corner, but when he swiftly turned his head, Zero spotted a glowing red eye. Usually he would see an eyepatch there, but today it was a new, glowing, robotic eye.

Zero just passed by swiftly, acting like he had never seen it.

Hopefully he would never have to face that monster himself.

…Well, sometimes when someone commits a monstrous act, they have to face something similar.

In Zero's case, he thought that the fall of his own squad was consequence enough, but now…

Remnant was his persecutor.

 **~End of Chapter~**


	16. Scars

**~Scars~**

Tawny had heard it all. Everything. She now knew the truth as to why Mercury, her former partner, was the way he was. It was because of Infinite's own attack, and his lack of response to the fox's pleas back when he was locked up. If he had let him go and told the doctor that he had just broken out, then maybe things could have been different.

No. He shouldn't have attacked Fox Squad in the first place. By letting the doctor hire him and his squad, he only got both groups destroyed, save for a few survivors, including himself.

Tawny didn't say anything. She could only stare at Infinite, with her tea in her hands. She hadn't taken a sip throughout the whole story. The image of Mercury being tormented in such a way must have been too much for her.

"…So," she eventually spoke, her gaze no longer on Infinite at all and instead on her tea, which was no longer emitting any steam or heat at all. "You were responsible for turning Mercury into Remnant?"

"Yes," Infinite answered simply. Tawny just nodded her head, which caused Infinite to close his eyes and add something to his response. "…I'm sorry."

"The mercenary world is tough," Tawny replied suddenly, still not looking at the jackal. "Same goes for bounty hunters, really. When you get given a job, you've gotta do it. …Sounds like you didn't even wanna do what you did."

"I don't regret it," Infinite insisted firmly. "We all got paid."

"Yeah, but didn't you say this all took place not long before your own squad was killed working for the same guy?" Tawny dared to question.

She… did have a point there.

"I suppose it was only right," the jackal commented. "If you wish to be immune from destruction, then you need strength. We didn't have the strength." He looked down at his own drink in his hands. "But… my survival was wrong. I was the leader. I should have been killed, and one of the others should have lived." He could already think of one person he'd trade his life for: Kali.

"Nah, I think you living sounds about right," Tawny shrugged, her tension seemingly starting to disappear. "You were the leader – the face of the squad. Even if they're all gone… it's kinda like the squad's still together with you."

Well… they weren't.

"Don't be so foolish," Infinite huffed, sipping his tea.

"I'm serious," Tawny grumbled. "Those foxes sound like they've really been split. I mean, Mercury's changed his name to Remnant. That literally implies that he's not himself and that he's not part of the squad. Those other two foxes are probably trying to find a completely new purpose. You? Well, I don't think you're as lost as they are."

"And why's that?" Infinite pressed.

"Because you seem to be fine here," Tawny pointed out. "Every time something happens, you jump into action. You can leave whenever you want, but so far, you've decided to stick around."

Infinite rolled his eyes. "There is no place else for me to go," he corrected.

"But you have a place here," Tawny added. "That's gotta mean something, right?"

…Well, he definitely felt more like he belonged here…

Maybe… it did mean something.

Infinite almost smiled, but didn't quite let his heart soften for that brief moment. "Perhaps it does," he reluctantly agreed.

…But did it?

This life was a lie. One day, they would all find out that he was Infinite.

Nobody would ever forgive him.

Tawny smiled happily. "I've gotta say, Zero, you've changed a lot since the day you tried to kick my stripy butt," she confessed, grabbing the jackal's attention. "I thought you were mega rude, and I thought you were just some entitled soldier, but you're not."

"If you're trying to flatter me, I suggest that you stop now," Infinite commanded. Tawny could only laugh, which didn't make the jackal feel much better, but at the same time he didn't feel compelled to react any harsher.

Both canines took sips from their hot drinks, until Infinite stretched his mouth to yawn.

"Need some rest, sleepy-head?" Tawny chuckled. "Or did you bore yourself with your own story?" Infinite frowned at her.

"I still don't understand how you're not concerned about what I did," the black-furred jackal admitted. "It was my fault that your former partner has been turned into… a monster."

"You're talking about him like he was the love of my life," Tawny huffed, rolling her eyes. "What happened between you two took place way after we had split up. I moved on from him, especially after he said that he wouldn't hesitate to hand me over to the fur trade. Why would I be concerned when you've already told me some dark mercenary stories?"

"I assumed you would react differently if someone you knew was involved," Infinite shrugged.

"Wow, you're really trynna scare me, aren't you?" Tawny noticed. "Not gonna work, dude."

Could she be so sure of her own words?

The coyote-hybrid rested her head on his shoulder, with a small smile on her face. She didn't look the least bit afraid of him. Even after learning that he was the one who damaged Mercury – _broke_ him – she still showed no sign of fear.

Would she still be the same if she knew he was Infinite?

One day it was inevitable that the secret would come out, but he couldn't say anything.

Not because he was afraid of exposing himself while he was weak, but because he didn't want to lose what he now had.

…He couldn't be alone again.

The jackal, for the first time, felt no urge to push Tawny away. He didn't mind her resting against him like this. It was… nice.

He even snuggled back without realising it.

Tawny was the one to notice this, and her smile brightened. Infinite was just falling asleep, with no desire to push Tawny away or even say anything. He was just letting her rest against him, and he had even pulled her a little closer.

Neither of them said anything. They just lay there and…

" _Seriously, boss, pick a side."_

" _Not you again…" Infinite could only growl at Striker. Here he was again, in this dream world, talking to his own conflicted mind in the form of his deceased comrade._

" _You're making this really difficult for yourself," Striker pointed out. "You've gotta let them know what you did. Then you can find yourself after they react."_

" _I don't belong anywhere as Infinite anymore," Infinite reminded him. "If anyone finds out, my life will have no meaning ever again."_

" _That's a lie," Striker hissed. "These are the good guys. They're supposed to forgive and forget, ain't they?"_

" _They don't forgive their enemies," Infinite snarled hatefully. "They're not "good". They just believe they are in the right."_

" _If you say you're willing to make up for everything you did, I'm sure they'd be alright," Striker shrugged. Infinite shot a scowl at him._

" _I don't want to be forgiven by people like Shadow," he admitted. "I despise Shadow."_

" _And Sonic?" Striker asked. "He was okay with you when you recently encountered him in Green Hill."_

" _He didn't know who I was," Infinite reminded him. "If he knew, he would have left me in that water. Perhaps he would have even grabbed my head and kept me below the surface until I stopped moving."_

" _You know Sonic's not like that," Striker stated. "Trust me; I know exactly what you know. Sonic forgave Shadow when he thought he was just a bad guy, and he's had moments of peace with the doctor when they've had to work together. He's even shown compassion towards Metal Sonic – his unfeeling robotic counterpart. Why should you be any different?"_

… _He didn't know._

 _Shadow had once tried to destroy the world. Infinite even remembered watching as part of the moon was destroyed by the Eclipse Cannon. But Infinite still felt like he was beyond redemption. He just wanted to destroy that identity as his and form a new one as Zero, but how could he just forget about everything that happened? He was responsible for the deaths of many and he destroyed many locations across the globe._

 _He didn't just threaten to ruin things. He actually did ruin things._

" _You've gotta face it, boss," Striker sighed. "Your time's running out. Mercury will probably reveal your identity to everyone soon enough, but you shouldn't be afraid of that. You should face him. If you defeat him, regardless of what he says and does, then you'll be seen as a hero."_

" _I'm not a hero," Infinite coldly confirmed. "I've never been a hero."_

" _Boss…" Striker reacted as his ears slowly drooped. He looked worried._

 _Did that mean Infinite was worried… for himself?_

Infinite's eyes started to open up, and he was thankful for it. He felt refreshed and he could see that the sun was rising, so he must have been asleep for longer than he thought.

He was still resting against Tawny, but the awkward sleeping position had caused his neck and shoulders to ache, so he had to let go of her to stretch himself out just to take away some of that irritating pain. Then, with the pain somewhat more bearable, his mismatched eyes just found Tawny. He stared at her almost vacantly yet thoughtfully. There was no reason for staring at her, and no thoughts were really in his head. All he was doing was looking at Tawny, then letting his mind remind him of what she and him had been through together.

She had saved him multiple times. She dragged him to do little missions for the sake of his own sanity – to make him feel like he could do something – and she gave him a place to stay. He once saw her as infuriating, but now… he was glad that she was the one who found him. If it were someone else, his story could have been a whole lot different.

Tawny looked like she would be asleep for a while, so Infinite decided to get up and have some alone time. Breakfast, tea, maybe some quiet television or time by the warm fireplace…

Well, all of that came crashing down when he once again noticed his mask.

There it was, sitting upon a shelf among other trophies Tawny had accumulated. Seeing it just reminded him of his past actions and who he once was up until recently. It would always be there to remind him of Infinite.

Slowly, the jackal removed the mask from the shelf and held it in his hands, staring into its blank gaze.

He couldn't just sit before this mask every day without saying something.

But, if Tawny found out, she would never speak to him again. No one would. He would be kicked out of the city and he would be unable to pick up his life again.

No matter how comfortable he felt, this would always be a problem for him. A problem with no solution.

As he lost himself in thought, the wall to the house came crumbling down.

Infinite's ears perked and he swiftly turned his head, only to be met with a powerful punch across the face. He struck the wall and then the ground, giving his assailant time to grab him and fly out of the house with him.

Remnant.

The cybernetic fox was soaring through the sky at high speeds, carrying the jackal with him in a vice grip. Infinite bared his teeth fiercely.

"You," he spat. "Release me at once or I'll make you regret your own birth."

"It turns out that the doctor's got plans for you, Zero," Remnant smirked, not listening to Infinite's threat. Sit tight for a moment while I bring you to him."

He had almost forgotten about the doctor.

In less than a minute, the two canines had arrived at the doctor's base, with Remnant throwing Infinite to the ground hard. Infinite grunted but sat himself up, rubbing his head, only to be greeted by the familiar voice of his former superior.

"Ho ho ho!" the man chortled. "Isn't this an interesting turn of events, Infinite?"

"Stop calling me that…" Infinite hissed hatefully as he tried to stand, only for Remnant to kick him back down.

"Now, now, Remnant, don't be so rough," the doctor grinned, stroking his moustache. "You, Infinite, are quite the interesting little trouble-maker. It's such a shame that you have chosen to go against me just because of one little pest." The doctor reached into his pocket and held out his fist, clearly holding something within it. "But I'm willing to give you one last chance, Infinite," he revealed as his fingers slowly unravelled, revealing what they were protecting.

Infinite's eyes went wider than ever.

A purple-pink glow filmed his eyes as he stared down at something which greatly intrigued him.

"This is not the Phantom Ruby," the doctor explained. "This is one of the remaining prototypes."

Infinite didn't care. He still stared at it with wide eyes.

A prototype…

If he grabbed this now, he would be whole again.

…Would he hurt Tawny?

…No! No, he wouldn't! He was going to take this from the foolish doctor and use it to his own advantage!

The jackal reached forwards and swiped it from the doctor's grasp, not seeing the bald man flinch at all. Infinite grinned very slightly.

"Truly reckless," he commented as he held the prototype jewel to his chest. However, his grin faded.

Something didn't feel right.

The jewel attached itself to his chest and began to glow brightly, but Infinite's vision began to distort as he heard the doctor laughing, and he could vaguely see Remnant smirking at him.

Against his will, Infinite found himself crawling towards the mask he had dropped as Remnant threw him to the ground, reaching for it for something. He had no idea what was going on.

"Success!" Infinite bellowed as the confused Infinite slowly lifted the mask. "With that modified prototype, I'll be able to have you completely under my control! Ho ho ho ho!"

What?!

Infinite felt his eyes widen and he sharply gasped, and then he yelled in both agony and horror.

He was finally becoming Infinite again, but this was not how he had imagined it. He wanted to tear the prototype from his chest, but he couldn't. All he could do was write and scream, hoping that somehow that would help him get it off…

Until he stopped.

He was… unusually calm.

The black and white jackal slowly pushed himself to his feet, bringing the mask to his face and fitting it correctly, adjusting it where necessary.

He turned around as his tail swished slowly from side-to-side, and his one visible eye found the doctor.

"…What is your plan, doctor?" he questioned.

Both the doctor and Remnant could only grin at what was now standing before them.

Infinite the Masked Monster was back.

 **~End of Chapter~**


	17. The Masked Monster

**~The Masked Monster~**

How dull the world looked now that it was almost restored. To think that he once wandered among these rats made him feel sick. He didn't belong with them. He belonged to be above them.

The pulsating sound of the Phantom Ruby prototype was almost comforting. At long last, Infinite had his power once again. He could terrorise the planet's inhabitants like he did so in the recent past without feeling anything.

Nothing was eating away at his mind. Not his squad, not Fox Squad, not Kali, not Ridge, not Ace… not even Tawny. He was free of it all.

"So then, jackal, are you ready to bring down that city you had been hiding in for so long?" came Remnant's voice. Infinite didn't even look at him, instead just turning and walking immediately. Remnant could practically be heard smirking as he watched the masked jackal leave.

This was going to be fun.

…

Tawny had been disturbed by the sound of her walls being broken down, and she grew even more worried when seeing that Zero was nowhere to be seen.

She knew something wasn't right. This had to be the work of Remnant. Who else would know where she was living?

This wasn't good. This wasn't good at all. Remnant had broken in and had taken Zero. Why not her?

…Did he know that taking Zero would hurt her more?

Of course, he did. Remnant knew her weaknesses because he used to be one of them. Tawny didn't grow close to people very often, and she was taught to be strong and untrusting from a very young age. If she ever trusted anyone, they clearly meant the world to her.

Tawny sprinted out of the house, but saw nothing. There was nothing which gave her any hints towards Zero's new location.

She did have another idea, though.

Ridge.

What if Remnant was going after Ridge? Ridge was currently out of the city, back to his usual business, but there was surely a chance that she could find him and ask him for help, maybe even save him from Remnant.

…But where would Ridge be by now? She had no idea.

Then another idea struck her mind.

The old Eggman base.

Eggman didn't have any time to construct a new base in this short space of time, so he must have retreated there.

But, just as Tawny had started on her journey, she spotted an arctic fox running as if he were carrying the fate of the world on his back, and following him was a smaller fennec fox. Something about them felt familiar, even though she hadn't seen them before…

Then her eyes went wide.

Could they be Blizzard and Sandy, the two survivors of Zero's ambush he had recently talked about?

Perhaps they could help. They may have been looking for Remnant, too.

"Hey!" the coyote called, waving to get their attention. The two foxes, particularly the one she believed to be Blizzard, seemed surprised that someone was calling to them and definitely seemed ready to back off to go about their duties.

"Can we help you?" spoke the fennec, who earned a glare from the arctic fox.

"What do you want?" the white fox then snarled. "We're kinda busy."

"As am I," Tawny told them, "but my gut instinct tells me we've got a common enemy."

"Enemy?" queried the fox she believed to be Sandy.

"You guys are called Blizzard and Sandy, right?" Tawny asked, seeing their faces turn into ones of both horror and surprise.

"How did you…?" Sandy reacted. Blizzard went back to scowling at her.

"Who are you and what do you know about us?" he demanded.

"Relax, I'm not a spy or anything," Tawny assured them. "A friend of mine knows you, but this morning he was taken. …By Mercury the Silver Fox."

"Mercury?" Sandy gasped, then looking up at Blizzard. Blizzard only let his ears stand tall as his eyes widened, but he tried not to express himself too much. Once again, his suspicions took over.

"How do you know Mercury?" he questioned quietly.

"We have a history," Tawny answered. "One that goes further than yours, from what I know. He's recently shown himself as this weird cybernetic fox, and he was talking about being allied with Doctor Eggman and stuff."

"Great," Blizzard hissed. "They're definitely planning to attack the city."

"We can only be prepared for them," Sandy advised. "We should find Sonic and other former members of the Resistance. They can help us."

"No," Blizzard spat. "They don't know enough about Remnant like we do. They'll only get themselves killed."

"We could use the help," Sandy argued. "Remnant's not like Infinite or anything. He's easier to deal with."

Too bad they had no idea who they were going to be dealing with…

…

Infinite flew alongside Remnant, heading straight for the city. Finally. He could hear the screams of cowards once again. He could tear down the buildings he had watched those pathetic citizens try so hard to reconstruct. He would once again be a terrifying threat, who would bring fear into the hearts of anyone who gazed upon his mask.

Remnant didn't even stop to hover and threaten the citizens of the city, which is something Infinite would have done just to make his presence known. Instead, Remnant rammed himself through a large building, bringing it to the ground and startling anyone in the nearby area.

The cybernetic fox had definitely gathered enough attention, and it made Infinite's nerves tingle with excitement.

Yes. Excitement. He hadn't felt that in a long time.

Infinite hovered above the city, in view of the citizens, and he pointed his hand towards another building. He didn't care if people were in it or not; he just wanted to destroy. The Phantom Ruby prototype on his chest began to glow and hum, and from his gloved hand, Infinite fires a magenta beam of energy, and the building he had been pointing at simply collapsed to the ground.

"The strong will always arise from the ashes," the jackal spoke through the voice filter in his mask. "Those who are weak shall die in the fire."

Once again, Infinite pointed his hand and brought down another building with his energy beam, but this time he slowly moved his hand across the landscape, taking out structures, paths, roads and even Mobians.

"There!" spoke the loud voice of a fennec voice, catching Infinite's attention. "That's Remnant! He's here already!" While the fox didn't seem to be focusing on him, he was still focusing on Remnant, who was his partner in this battle.

Of course. This fox had to be Sandy, and his friend must have been Blizzard.

The two remaining members of Fox Squad.

Infinite could only chuckle lowly at the sight of the pair. They were clutching at straws. Death was always a step behind them, reaching its claw out to grasp them, and finally they would meet their fates which had been sealed long ago. Infinite would be able to finish the job. He would kill the last two survivors of that squad to prove that every last fox mercenary was inferior to him.

"Sandy, get back!" Blizzard snapped. "He's with Infinite!"

The white fox rushed back with the fennec, disappearing with a third individual who Infinite paid no attention to. Those foxes were not his concern. Remnant could deal with them.

No. He saw exactly who he had to be targeting.

Sonic hopped over the rooftops and landed just before Infinite, staring up at the floating jackal with a smug grin on his face.

"Didn't think I'd see you again so soon, Infinite," he greeted. "Did I not kick your masked butt enough the last time we met?"

The last time they met…

That was when Infinite fell into the water when he was at Green Hill, when he was at his lowest point.

Sonic was so… friendly.

…That didn't matter. Sonic didn't know who he was talking to then, and even if he did, it meant nothing to Infinite now. He was no longer that weak and lost jackal; he was Infinite. He was the very embodiment of fear and destruction.

"There is one weakness you have when defeating your enemies, Sonic," the masked jackal retorted, lowering himself to the ground slowly. "You don't kill them."

"I don't see that as a weakness," Sonic smirked proudly. "It just means I get to challenge guys like you again!"

"And that, my spiky blue friend, will be your downfall."

Infinite glitched his way towards Sonic in a strange pixelated illusion, but Sonic was quick to move out of the way of Infinite's predicted punch. The hedgehog had definitely learned from their last battles.

This should be fun, then. He would finally have a worthy opponent.

…

Tawny stood back as Blizzard launched himself towards Remnant, with Sandy following just behind. Two against one, but Remnant was powerful. The coyote hybrid wanted to help, but deep down, as much as she couldn't bear the thought of it, she was terrified. She was terrified of Remnant. She was terrified of fighting him. If she lost, she would no doubt suffer greatly, and she didn't want to suffer at the hands of someone she once loved. She didn't have anything to beat him with. Hopefully the real heroes would deal with him soon.

Speaking of which, Sonic's nearby voice caught Tawny's attention. Her canine ears twitched as she turned her heard, creeping away from the conflict going between the foxes, and her eyes went wide when she saw Infinite. He was back. He was actually back. That definitely was not Metal Infinite – that was the real deal.

Infinite and Sonic were both fighting, and all she could do was stare.

Wait… that mask…

Didn't she have Infinite's mask?

How did he get it back?

…

…

…No.

No, no, no.

Her mind couldn't be right.

As Infinite spun around, kicking Sonic violently, she noticed something.

His hair.

His long, flowing white dreadlocks.

They looked just like Zero's.

…No…

As she stared, unmoving, Infinite turned his head sharply and locked eyes with her.

Frozen.

Both of them.

…

Tawny was staring right at him. He knew her. This was someone he had been spending time with. A lot of time.

Why wasn't he just blasting her away with his powers? It would be so easy, especially for someone like her. She would stand no chance against him.

Before his internal debate could continue, Sonic jumped up and performed a homing attack on him, knocking him off his balance. Infinite's focus returned to Sonic, and their fight continued.

Infinite decided that it would be best to get away from Tawny. He would come back for her shortly, once Sonic was no longer distracting him. The jackal grabbed the hedgehog and flew as fast as he could, launching him hard into a building which was not so tall.

The temporary hospital.

Sonic crashed into it, cracking away the bricks and causing plenty to collapse. Infinite didn't care if anyone got hurt; if anything, he _wanted_ more people to get hurt.

Various people ran out of the hospital. Soldiers, staff and patients, whether the patients were adults or children. They were all fleeing the scene, aside from the soldiers, who feebly attempted to battle Infinite, only to lose their lives before they knew what struck them.

"Resistance is futile," Infinite said, not caring that the phrase was cliched. This was a perfect moment to use it, because it was true. The Resistance itself was futile. Nothing could stop him. He was powerful before, and he was powerful now – only this time he was being aided by Remnant. Now it was a guaranteed win.

"Stop right there, Infinite!" yelled the voice of a frightened child. Oh, how entertaining. There was always a naïve child who believed they could stop the threat, but ultimately, they would die for no real reason. Infinite turned to face the child slowly, grinning behind his emotionless mask.

"The fear of a child pretending to be brave is the most unique form of fear," the jackal stated, but then he froze once more, this time with his own eyes going wide.

The child who was confronting him was Ace.

The young jackal looked terrified but kept his firm expression. He trembled, but he furrowed his brows in an attempt to look brave.

"I'm not like you!" Ace cried out. "I'll show them I'm not like you!"

Of course.

Ace was always being bothered because of his species. Everyone believed he was evil because he was a jackal, just like Infinite. He was obviously trying to prove that he wasn't evil by challenging Infinite head-on.

What a foolish mistake.

A child was no match for someone like Infinite. They could be killed in one simple strike.

Infinite pointed his hand towards Ace, ready to say something dark about how killing children was easy, but he said nothing. He wasn't even charging up his attack. Instead, he was just hovering there, with his hand pointed.

He wasn't doing anything.

 _"Don't let them hurt me… I don't like being hurt…"_

 _"They will not harm you if you're with me."_

No… why were these memories playing to him now? He didn't care about this child! Infinite cared for no one!

He kept his hand pointed, but he was definitely hesitating. He couldn't… He couldn't do it.

Ace was just glaring up at him with tears in his eyes, trying so hard not to look afraid while stinking of the emotion. By now he should be dead, but Infinite just wasn't doing anything.

"Infinite!"

There it was. That voice again. The voice of…

Tawny?

He was expecting it to be Sonic, but the blue hedgehog was still down.

Infinite didn't face her, keeping his focus on Ace. If he kept his focus on the child, then maybe he would muster up the power to destroy him.

"Infinite!"

She was calling him again, but this time she was closer. She was approaching him.

Infinite's one exposed eye moved towards the voice, staring at Tawny for a brief moment. Perhaps killing her would be easier.

Then he saw movement coming from Sonic, who seemed like he wanted to save Ace before it was too late. Infinite's focus returned to the smaller jackal, and this time he finally started to charge up the energy of the Phantom Ruby prototype. He had to kill that child just to break Sonic. He had to show Sonic that saving everyone was impossible, and that sparing enemies is always a fatal mistake.

Tawny had come closer, standing upon a pile of rubble from one of the destroyed buildings. He was just going to ignore her, unless she used that grappling hook of hers to try ripping off his new Phantom Ruby. That's what she did with Metal Infinite.

He was ready to fire…

"Zero!"

Something… fizzed.

His energy stopped charging as he turned his head sharply, gazing down at the coyote-hybrid. She was glaring up at him, but by no means did she look ready to fight. Instead… she looked hurt. Betrayed.

Because she was his friend.

"Zero, I know that's you!" she shouted up at him. "Were you Infinite all along?! Was it you who started the war?!"

Infinite said nothing.

"I should've known…" Tawny murmured, clenching her fists. Her expression hardened, but then she just looked hurt again. She shook her head and stared right up into his expressionless gaze. "No… I don't believe it… Something's not right here…" The coyote-jackal pointed towards Remnant, who was currently fighting with Blizzard and Sandy nearby. "You hated him, and he hated you! You hated Doctor Eggman! There's no way you're yourself right now, dude!"

Infinite looked away from her, staring down at both Ace and Sonic. He was still silent.

"Talk to me!" Tawny practically howled. "Say something Infinite would say! Say that I'm foolish, or that I'm weak, or pathetic! Say that words won't win this battle! Anything! Laugh at me for trying so hard to talk you outta this! Turn around and fire one of those laser beams at me! Just do something!"

Do something.

He just had to do something to shut her up.

Before he could even think of something, Remnant flew to the scene, having beaten down Sandy severely and leaving Blizzard to deal with him. The cybernetic fox grabbed Tawny by her tail and flew into the air with her, grinning sadistically as his gaze fell upon Infinite.

"I told this one that I'd sell her into the fur trade if I ever saw her again," he grinned. "I'm sure Eggman would know of a few guys who'd be after the fur of a coyote-jackal hybrid."

Tawny was dangling from his firm grasp, with a pained expression on her face. She lifted her hand in an attempt to fire her grappling hook at the glowing core upon Remnant's chest, but he used his free hand to grab her wrist firmly. He bent it backwards, and Tawny howled in what sounded like a mixture of pain and fear. She feared losing to someone like Remnant, and feared that the city would be devastated once again.

Something about this scenario… triggered a memory.

No. He had various memories going through his mind right now.

The sight of Kali at Shadow's mercy.

The sight of all of his dead squad members.

The sight of Fox Squad dying brutally.

The sight of Mercury pleading for rescue.

The sight of his father beating him mercilessly.

The sight of Ridge being held hostage by Wolf Squad.

The sight of Ace falling off that bridge.

The sight of Tawny about to be shot by Scar.

Everything came flooding back to him, and before he knew it, he had warped his way towards Remnant and struck him hard in his core. The bright blue light flickered as Remnant's grip loosened, with Tawny now falling towards the ground. Infinite vanished and then reappeared below the falling female canine, catching her swiftly in his arms. The masked jackal made sure that Tawny was safe on the ground before flying back up towards Remnant, surrounding him with clones of himself. Remnant could only frown at the sight.

"Not even mind control works on you, does it?" he grumbled. "Fine. I'll just kill you and take the ruby prototype for myself!" The silver fox flew right at Infinite, with the two enhanced canines colliding. Infinite punched and kicked as much as he could, but ultimately Remnant was stronger. The Phantom Ruby prototype was not as strong as the real thing, especially since it needed more time to charge its limited amount of energy, and it was harder to use now that Infinite was battling its mind control effects. Remnant, on the other hand, was cybernetically enhanced, and one kick from his robotic legs at full-power was enough to crack his ribs.

When that kick did arrive, Infinite tried as hard as he could to keep fighting, but it was impossible to win. He managed to punch the fox's core and even managed to hit his robotic ear, breaking it. He even struck his claw down Remnant's face and cracked his robotic eye, but it just wasn't enough. Remnant punched Infinite across the face, knocking off his mask, and then finally punched him in the chest, shattering the Phantom Ruby prototype completely. Infinite lost the ability to fly and fell straight to the ground.

Darkness.

…

Remnant cackled proudly – a sound which filled Tawny with rage. She had seen enough of him. He had done enough damage. While the fox was distracted, Tawny was able to use her grappling hook to strike his already-damaged core, then pulling him down to the ground. The impact was so hard that it damaged his enhancements to the point where they could no longer be used to strengthen him.

Tawny walked closer to Remnant, watching cautiously as he tried to stand back up. "Leave and don't ever show your face again," she whispered hatefully in a manner which seemed so unusual for her. Remnant was able to just get up onto his feet, and his gaze was one of pure hatred.

"You've always been weak," he insulted harshly. "When I come back, I'll skin you alive."

"LEAVE!" Tawny roared. Remnant growled at her but this time heeded her words, using what little power he had in his feet boosters to fly away. Once he was out of sight, Tawny ran towards Infinite, who lay on the ground with his eyes closed.

"Zero!" she exclaimed, falling by his side and pulling him into her lap. She held her ear to his chest, hoping that the worst hadn't happened.

Her hopes were heard.

Tawny let out a shaky sigh of relief when she heard the faint, almost relaxing beat of Infinite's heart. Tears finally dripped from her eyes as she cradled the jackal close.

And finally, she cried.

She cried as she rocked him, holding him protectively.

"I can't lose you like I lost Mercury," she admitted. "I don't want to lose you, Zero. I… I…" She shook her head to stop herself from saying something, choosing to say something else. "I care about you too much, dude… You're… You're still the grumpy guy I became friends with…"

"Tawny!" Ace called out, running towards her. "Tawny, be careful! It's Infinite!"

The young jackal didn't need to be corrected. Once he was close enough, he gasped sharply upon seeing Infinite's face. Now he, too, could see Infinite's true identity as Zero the Jackal.

Sonic approached Tawny awkwardly. "So, would it be a bad time to tell ya that this guy's under arrest?"

Tawny didn't even react. Imprisoning him seemed to be the right thing to do, considering that he had done so much damage in such a small amount of time while also previously starting a war. It would be easier to get answers out of him, too, to find out what was really going on with him, but at the same time, Tawny didn't want to let him go. Would she ever see him again? What if he was killed instead of imprisoned?

The coyote-hybrid stood up, with Infinite in her arms and surprisingly not weighing her down much. "I'm taking him," she insisted. "And you've gotta swear that no one will hurt him."

"I don't do promises, lady," Sonic admitted. Tawny could only frown as she carried Infinite silently.

Carried… Zero silently.

…This was hard to deal with.

Hopefully she would find out exactly what had been going on soon enough.

 **~End of Chapter~**


	18. A Jackal Shaped Hole

**~A Jackal Shaped Hole~**

Tawny didn't feel right. She had returned to the city once Infinite had been detained, but she just felt so… weird. How could Zero and Infinite be the same person? How cruel and evil could Infinite be if he spent so much time with her and saved her life? He took a bullet for her, and almost died rescuing Ace.

It just wasn't right.

Her house was still damaged and needed to be repaired, but she chose to return to it, anyway. It was her home. Even if one of the walls had caved in thanks to Remnant, it was still her home.

But it no longer felt like her home. She put the fire on and went about her usual business making a cup of tea, then peeping her head into the exposed living room with a smile on her face.

"Sugar?"

…Nobody answered.

Her smile faded.

For some reason, she thought Infinite would be in that room, sitting by the fire with a blanket wrapped around him. Maybe he would have been wounded from battle. Maybe he was trying to dry off from falling into a body of water. Maybe he was just tired from a long day of fighting and helping people.

But he wasn't there.

Nobody was there.

She was, as she had been for a long time, alone.

In fact, it was worse now. Infinite hadn't just kept her company, but he had brought others to her. She felt closer to the community and more willing to help out. She had gained the trust of Ace, an orphaned jackal child with no one left who he could consider friend or family. She had even found out the truth of her father. She had spent _time_ with her father, and had learned that she was a coyote-jackal hybrid.

Now she was alone.

How could Infinite – Zero – be the bad guy? How could he have been the one to do all this? Looking back, it did make sense that he was definitely the same Infinite from the war. She had found him outside the city and he had come from Eggman's base – the place where Infinite was last seen when he was defeated. He had told her about being a mercenary who worked for Eggman, and that now made more sense than ever. He worked for Eggman as a mercenary, and then again as the new and improved Infinite.

Tawny didn't want to finish making her tea, her ears drooping with sadness. She couldn't just go back to her normal life. She had made a friend and gained so much by being with him, and now she was back to square one, only this time she felt the pain of loss.

Being alone in her broken house probably wasn't going to be the best for her, especially since Remnant could return for her, so she chose to head to a place where many people were: the temporary hospital. The place she had brought Infinite to when she first found him. The place he recovered in when he took a bullet for her. The place where Ace was still living.

Tawny arrived swiftly and Ace spotted her before she even kept her eyes out for him. "Tawny!" he cried out happily, running over to her and clinging to her waist with a bright smile on his face.

"Hey there, kiddo," Tawny smiled, ruffling the child's hair. The small jackal's yellow eyes looked up at her, and his head then tilted. "What happened to Zero? …I mean… Infinite? Is he in jail?"

The question tugged Tawny's heart strings as her ears flopped. "Yes," she answered somewhat sadly. "He's in jail. That's all I know."

Ace nodded sadly, but then spoke quietly. "Do you really think that Zero is evil…?" he queried. This time, Tawny had no direct answer.

"…I really don't know," she admitted. "Hopefully we'll find out what's wrong with him soon."

There was a pause in the conversation, and then Tawny smiled as she knelt down to Ace's level. "You know, kid, you're pretty brave," she told him. "You stood up to Infinite. You didn't know it was Zero wearing that mask. You thought it was just big, bad Infinite, back again to destroy the city. I don't even think I would've had the guts to stand up to him at your age."

Ace smiled and his jackal ears stood tall. "You think I'm brave?" he gasped. Tawny nodded.

"Bravest kid here," she stated. Ace giggled proudly.

"I bet I can be a hero one day," he said. "I'll be strong. I'll be cool like you and…" He cut himself off and looked immediately sad again. He was going to say Zero's name, but remembered that Zero was Infinite. Tawny just ruffled his tuft of white hair again.

"When the city's fixed up, you deserve to go to a loving family," she said to him. "You're a great kid, Ace. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

Ace stared up at her thoughtfully, his head cocking to the side. He looked like he was going to ask her something, but a familiar voice interrupted him.

"Tawny!" Ridge called as he ran to the duo. Tawny arose to her full height and turned around to face the older jackal. "Are you alright? I tried to come over here as fast as I could!"

"I'm fine," Tawny murmured.

Ridge looked around, seeing that Infinite was nowhere nearby. "…Where's Zero?" he asked, having not quite heard much about what had just happened. Tawny couldn't help but turn away.

"Zero attacked with Remnant," she explained. "He's… Infinite."

Ridge's eyes widened, but not with the level of surprise Tawny had been expecting. Instead, he just seemed to be reacting to the fact that Zero attacked.

"Why…?" was all the jackal could say.

"I don't know why he attacked," Tawny wavered. "He seemed so… genuine when I spoke to him."

"He was," Ridge confirmed, earning a confused stare from Tawny. Ridge stared back, then finally exhaling heavily through his nose as he closed his eyes as if ashamed of himself. "Tawny, I knew that he was Infinite," he revealed. "I told him that if he ever hurt you, I'd let everyone know that he was Infinite. He didn't want anyone to know, but… he never hurt you. Infinite wouldn't take a bullet for someone he didn't care about. He had no reason to gain your trust for selfish acts."

"Hold on," Tawny interjected, her expression mildly angered. "You knew that Zero was Infinite this whole time?"

"Pretty much," Ridge nodded.

"And you didn't tell me?"

Ridge could only shake his head at her question. Tawny growled a little through her teeth.

"You jerk!" she snapped.

"He didn't want me to tell you," Ridge defended. "Tawny, he told you a lot about himself. He would've told you his identity at some point, but… I'm pretty sure he was just scared you'd lose him. He was a lonely guy, after all."

"He tried to destroy the city," Tawny pointed out. "He wasn't going to tell me, he was just waiting until he could get his strength back! If you had just told me that he was Infinite, then maybe… maybe I could've convinced him not to do this!"

"Something's still not right about this," Ridge pointed out.

"You weren't even here to see what happened," Tawny snarled. "You're always at a distance! You're always keeping secrets! First you wouldn't tell me you were my father, and now this!"

Silence.

Ridge was just staring at her. He didn't know that she had found that out.

"…Who told you?" was all he asked.

"Zero," Tawny hissed.

"Gah!" Ridge reacted. "So, I kept his secret and he wouldn't even keep mine. That's totally fair."

"You never told me, not even now," Tawny pressed. "Why not?" Ridge shrugged his shoulders as his reaction.

"I'm not really the father type," he admitted. "I live a dangerous life. Falling for your mother was great, but… I couldn't let anyone know I had a hybrid kid, y'know? They'd go after you. I tried to distance myself, but I hated seeing you get hurt. …I wanted to tell you. I really did. And I should've told you sooner – you've proven yourself to be quite the fighter."

"Hmph," Tawny huffed, folding her arms. Ridge then tilted his head.

"Why would Infinite tell you that I'm your dad?" he questioned. Tawny just shrugged.

"You don't think he wanted to cause tension or something, do ya?" she asked him.

"It doesn't make sense," Ridge stated. "He saved me with your help."

"And that was after he told me you were my dad," Tawny confirmed, which only made Ridge appear more confused as he rubbed his fuzzy chin.

"What the heck was that guy up to…?" he murmured.

And then Tawny remembered something as she inhaled sharply, tapping Ridge's arm speedily. "Mind control!" she recalled. "Mercury- I mean… Remnant, said something about mind control not working on Infinite! That's when Infinite turned around and started fighting him!"

"Wait, really?" Ridge reacted.

"Yeah!" Tawny nodded. "Something was controlling him… It must have been the ruby! Remnant called it a prototype, so it wasn't the real one!"

"Oh, dear…" Ridge slowly replied. "I think I get it now. Infinite really was trying to move on. He wasn't lying or trying to trick us. That mad doctor took him back and made him his mind-slave!"

"Sounds like something Egghead would do," Tawny agreed. "I'm pretty sure Remnant kidnapped him from my place, too; I woke up only to find Zero missing after my house was broken into! …I mean, Infinite was missing. …Oh, man, what do we call him?"

"I don't think that's important," Ridge told her. "What's important is that he was used, but nobody will believe him! He's gonna rot in prison – if they don't kill him."

"Kill him?!" Tawny shouted. "No way! That's it, we're going to bust him out!"

"Cool, a jailbreak," Ridge grinned. "…But how would we do it?"

"Like how we do most things," Tawny shrugged. "We're gonna improvise!"

"We're gonna bust into a highly-secured jail with no plan?" Ridge sighed, but then he smiled. "Eh. Works for me."

"Those former Resistance soldiers will only see Infinite as a villain," Tawny reminded him. "They won't see what we saw. They won't see Zero."

"That's their loss," Ridge shrugged. "C'mon, kiddo. Let's go save your little jackal buddy – jail ain't a nice place."

 **~End of Chapter~**


	19. Kicked While Down

**~Kicked While Down~**

Darkness.

It lasted for so long, but this time, he felt something else.

Weakness.

Why did he feel weakness?

Pain.

He was in pain.

Real pain.

As the jackal forced his eyes open, he realised that breathing hurt, and remembered the rib-cracking kick he earned from Remnant.

Remnant…

 _Crud._

What had happened?

…He had attacked the city.

He had attacked the place he helped rebuild.

…The place he helped… destroy?

It was weird. It was like he was going back and forward. He destroyed the city, then he rebuilt it, and then he destroyed it again, and now he wanted to rebuild it.

…But he couldn't.

He lifted his head slightly, trying to shift his body around to look through the bars of his cage. His prison cell.

He was in a place no different to the one aboard the Death Egg where people like Sonic were held captive.

Maybe he deserved this.

Infinite couldn't keep his head lifted and simply let it flop to the floor again as his eyes closed, and he breathed short breaths of air. Every breath was threatening him by reminding him of his cracked ribs, but he tried to ignore the sensation.

What had he done?

"Having fun in there, Infinite?" came an all-too-familiar voice – an annoying one, too. Infinite's eyes barely opened and he tried to growl, but instead he just let out a weak croak and remained lying limp on the floor.

"Never thought I'd ever see your face," Sonic continued before snickering to himself. "Now I know why you wanted to hide it so bad!"

"A…Ace…" Infinite groaned weakly, still struggling to catch his breath. He couldn't even form a sentence, but Sonic seemed to grasp what he was trying to say.

"Huh? The kid?" the blue hedgehog reacted. "The kid's in hospital with everyone else you attacked in the city."

Infinite didn't respond to that, instead appearing almost relieved to hear that Ace was alright and was not missing. He was also afraid that he might've attacked him while under the influence of the false ruby.

The jackal's eyes cracked open again as he stared up towards the ceiling of his cell, and then they closed again. There was someone else on his mind.

"T…Tawny…" he managed to choke out. Sonic only tilted his head and scratched his ear.

"Dunno who that is," he admitted, then shrugging. "Anyway, I should get back to the city to make sure everyone's doing alright after what you did to them. I'd ask if you wanted anything like water, but you guys never gave me anything when you held me captive."

The blue blur was about to take off, but he watched as Infinite really forced himself to sit up. The jackal held his chest and grimaced, trying not to put much pressure on the damaged bones, but when his mismatched eyes finally opened, even if only slightly, Sonic's expression shifted slightly.

"Hey, hold up, your face looks familiar _without_ the mask," he pointed out, and then it hit him as his ears stood tall. "Oh! I remember now. You fell into some water in Green Hill and I pulled you out!"

Urgh. Why did he have to remember?

Infinite's ears flattened as he turned his head to face away, but Sonic remained where he was and continued to ask questions.

"Huh, that's weird," the hedgehog commented out loud. "You didn't give me any strange vibes that day. Either you're really good at acting, or…"

An alarm went off and lights flashed bright red, catching Sonic's attention.

"Great!" he grinned excitably. "Looks like someone's trynna break into the prison. I'll take them down!"

Without giving Infinite one last look, Sonic darted off. Infinite felt no need to focus on what was going on and chose to instead lie down with his back to the bars, trying to curl up without hurting himself. How long would he be here?

…It was so lonely.

The very thought of being alone made him want to curl up more, but he couldn't. It was just too much agony for him.

"Psst! Zero!"

Now he was hearing things.

He was hearing her voice.

Tawny.

How weird… Now he was hearing Tawny instead of Kali.

Had Tawny become the new Kali to him…?

"Zero! C'mon, I know you're not dead in there!"

It was still there.

 _Just go away…_

A sigh could be heard, and then the cell doors were opened.

Wait… somebody really was here?

Infinite pushed his upper body up and twisted his neck to look to the side, and his eyes came close to widening.

Tawny was there.

The coyote-jackal had opened the cell with a key-card – which she had no doubt stolen – and she stood with a grin on her face. A proud smirk, no different to how she often looked.

How could she not look at him with fear or anger or hatred? After everything he had done, why would she be here?

…Was she going to torment him like he had tormented individuals like Sonic? And Mercury?

The female canine looked like she was about to walk into his cell casually, but then she ran. Infinite tried to shuffle back, prepared to defend himself. Tawny fell to her knees and, suddenly, wrapped her arms around the black-furred jackal, her face in his shoulder. Infinite couldn't help but grunt and grimace since his ribs still hurt, but it wasn't too unbearable.

Infinite had to support himself with one hand propping his body up, and the other slowly wrapped around Tawny. He rubbed her back in an awkward manner, still unsure of how to react or what to even say to the girl.

A wet feeling was dampening his shoulder, which was unusual. He turned his head slightly, seeing that Tawny still had her face pressed there.

She… was crying.

Into him.

Both to look at her face and to prevent her from hurting his ribs, Infinite used his hand to lightly push her back. His head tilted slowly to the side as he eyed her face. Her tears were there, staining the fur of her own muzzle.

He had never seen her like this.

Tawny was always so fun and uncaring. She even showed barely any emotion when hearing the tragic tale of how Mercury became Remnant, yet… here she was, shedding tears before his very eyes.

Nothing was said. They just stared at each other.

Until Tawny smiled.

Why was she smiling? What was that girl planning?

"You're not a monster…" she observed. "I knew you couldn't be…!"

Infinite's ears drooped very slightly. "I…" he murmured hoarsely. "I… am…"

"No," Tawny denied. "You're not." She shakily lifted a hand and reached up for his cheek, combing his muzzle fur with her thumb before pressing her forehead against his. "You'll never be a monster to me again, Zero…"

Why? Why was she so forgiving? He didn't deserve to be forgiven after causing so much destruction. Twice.

He couldn't help but wrap his arms around her again, this time holding her close despite his pain, sitting up as best as he could.

Even Kali wouldn't have forgiven him over something like this. She loved him, of course, but she wouldn't want to be around someone with the potential to betray and harm her.

Tawny, however, saw past the actions. She might have feared him, but she was willing to help him and work things out.

She was so much more than just a friend to him, and she no doubt knew that, too.

"Why…?" the jackal finally managed to say while still holding Tawny close. "Why… save… me…?"

"Don't be such an idiot," Tawny huffed, hiding her tears from him. "My life sucks without you, dude. And I'm pretty sure you're not a fan of jails."

"Got that right…" Infinite coughed, trying as hard as he could to stand. Tawny pulled him up to his feet and kept him held close, their eyes meeting once again. The female canine couldn't hold back her relieved smile. Infinite's expression looked as dull as always, with a new hint of pain and weariness. He wasn't the smiling type.

But the tears dripping from his eyes were enough to show Tawny that he missed her, and that he wasn't afraid to show any emotional weakness around her anymore.

"Aw, come on, now, if you start, I'll start," Tawny said, holding Infinite's arm behind her neck so that she could support him properly. "Let's just get on outta here, okay?"

"Yeah…" Infinite agreed. He held onto Tawny as she ran with him, despite his pain, and followed her through an airduct (well, he was mostly dragged through). They were escaping thanks to a distraction, which Infinite had no doubt was Ridge, since Tawny didn't seem to know anyone else well enough to help her break out a known terror. It was somewhat nice to think that Ridge was helping, since he had known of his identity all along.

Escaping the prison facility went by fast, probably because Infinite was fading in and out of consciousness and had to be dragged along by Tawny. When he was able to really wake up, still in pain, he saw that Ridge was indeed there, and he saw that he was indoors – mostly, aside from a broken wall.

It was then that he realised he was laying on his favourite sofa in Tawny's home, which was still damaged because of Remnant.

Remnant…

Was he still out there?

The jackal winced as he sat himself up, joining in the conversation going on between the two.

"What'd I miss…?" he grunted.

"An awesome escape," Tawny replied. "I had to carry your stripy butt all the way back here."

"Apologies," Infinite grumbled, looking downwards awkwardly. "The Phantom Ruby prototype has _weakened_ me, and my ribs were damaged thanks to that stupid fox…"

"So, it really was mind control?" Ridge asked him. Infinite just nodded his head.

"I underestimated the doctor's intelligence," he admitted quietly, then feeling the weight of the sofa shift. He turned his head and saw that Tawny had sat down beside him, and she put her arm around him in a comforting way.

"It's okay," she said with a smile. "What matters is you're back now. You're gonna be fine."

"Well, the Resistance soldiers won't be too happy with any of us now," Ridge corrected. "We're gonna have to go up against people like Sonic, and maybe even Shadow."

Infinite clenched his fists. He still felt such anger towards them both…

Tawny pulled Infinite a little closer, seeing his tension. "Take it easy, tough guy," she commanded. "Nobody's doing any fighting – not while you're broken, that is."

"Broken?" the jackal grunted, flattening his hears down with a frown on his face.

"Yeah, you're a bit broken," Tawny repeated. "Until your ribs heal, we can't do anything."

"What could we even do once I heal?" Infinite asked her. "They'll throw me in jail again. It will be one vicious cycle, unless you two also get arrested."

"You've gotta prove yourself to those guys," Tawny advised. "Prove that you ain't a psycho anymore. You're not exactly a good guy, but you're not with Eggman."

Infinite just let out a sigh, closing his eyes in frustration. The coyote-hybrid just pat his back to reassure him.

"Don't focus on it for now," she soothed. "For now, we're all gonna rest up. We'll figure things out once we're not as worn out."

"Hmph," Infinite huffed. He sounded like he was about to object, but his body language said otherwise. Instead, he flopped onto his side, snarling from the pain but ultimately doing his best to ignore it as he immediately made himself comfortable on the sofa. Tawny just chuckled.

"I'll make some tea, sugar," she said to him, which instantly snapped him out of his near-sleep as the hybrid stood herself up and wandered towards the kitchen.

"You're not funny," he retorted, unamused.

But deep down, he knew she was.

 **~End of Chapter~**


	20. Reunion

**~Reunion~**

At last, he could relax.

For now, at least.

Tawny returned to the room with tea in her grasp, placing it on the table before taking a seat beside Infinite with her own tea in hand.

"We should consider relocating," Ridge spoke up. "We need to be in a safe place while Zero recovers, away from the citizens and from Remnant."

"Remnant's not an issue right now," Tawny decided. "He'll be repairing himself for some time."

"But when he's done, we need to be away," Ridge reminded.

"We'll figure that out soon," Tawny cut in, then turning to look at Infinite. "What we really need right now is a catch-up talk."

Oh. Right. Tawny now knew he was Infinite. She probably deserved an explanation at this point, all things considered.

"So," Tawny began, "mind filling me in on what the heck you're up to?"

"It depends on where you want me to start," Infinite responded, his voice quiet and somewhat pained due to his wounded ribs.

"The day I found you," Tawny answered. "What were your intentions? What had happened to you?"

Infinite was quiet as he took a sip from his tea, and it took him a moment to start delivering his reply. "I had been walking," he explained. "I awoke after Sonic had defeated me. The doctor was not there. All I did was walk until I collapsed near the city, where you found me and brought me to that hospital." His mismatched eyes were focused on the half-coyote. "I intended to regain my strength, find the Phantom Ruby and join with the doctor once again to start a war."

Tawny met his eyes, only returning his stare. "And?" she asked. "What does that mean?"

"It means that I was still the terror the world knows me for being when you found me," Infinite responded blatantly, holding back all emotion. Tawny just nodded without breaking eye-contact.

"And now?" she queried.

Infinite was the one to lower his gaze, averting it elsewhere. "I'm not the same as I was then," he confessed, his voice even quieter. "I'm not sure what I am now. Zero, Infinite… I don't feel like either. But back then… I know I was Infinite." His gloved fists clenched tightly as he bared his teeth a little, remembering just how he felt when he first woke up in that hospital. "I wanted to find the ruby so that I could kill Sonic and his annoying friends. I was struggling without it, even when I was first spending time with you. I had forgotten how to use my own body." His tension eases slightly. "But now… I am familiar with myself, even with the Phantom Ruby long gone."

"Yeah, that explains why you took the prototype from Eggman and let yourself get mind-controlled," Ridge chimed in, folding his arms.

"I never said I enjoyed living without it," Infinite grumbled. "I snatched it from him then because I wanted power. I wanted to defeat him and Remnant without struggle. I wanted to prove to them that I was a threat. But they knew me more than I even knew myself; they knew I'd take that ruby to turn on them."

"Hmph," Ridge reacted.

"It's weird," Tawny piped up, studying the floor with her eyes as she thought. "There were so many things you told me. I'm not sure what's real and what's fake…"

Well, that was certainly the impression Infinite was used to giving people.

"I did not tell many lies," the young jackal clarified. "I withheld the truth from you."

"You told me you were a Resistance soldier," Tawny pointed out.

"I told you I was a mercenary not long after," Infinite reminded. "That is true. I was a mercenary. The ultimate mercenary. My squad was killed by Shadow when we had been hired by the doctor to defend his facility. My squad and I were also responsible for the slaughter of Squad 13 and the eventual rise of Remnant. That is all true." Tawny just nodded, and was then silent for a brief moment before she recalled something.

"Oh, crud," she then said. "Blizzard and Sandy."

"Who?" Ridge reacted, tilting his head.

Infinite's ears stood tall. He knew who they were. He saw them when he was under Eggman's control.

They were in the city.

"They were here during the battle," the scar-faced jackal recalled. "The whole city knows my true face now. Those two foxes will want me dead."

"Sounds like we've gotta move, then," Ridge added. "If you know people who want you dead, then they're _really_ gonna be looking for someone like you. Tawny and I aren't exactly as… well, infamous for causing wars and such."

Infinite put his empty tea cup down on the table once he was finished drinking, and then he forced himself to stand. It was agony, but he had to just get used to it. There was not much else that could be done for broken ribs.

"Hey, be careful…!" Tawny reacted. "Your ribs are broken, dude…"

"I've had worse," the jackal hissed. "Now, then, we need to leave here. I already have to worry about the cybernetic fox; I don't want two more to worry about."

Tawny put her arm around him to help him walk. "You're definitely in no fit state to be dealing with any of them," she pointed out. "Even if Remnant does attack the city… I doubt we can do much with you in this condition."

"Sonic can handle it," Infinite snarled in the most hateful, sarcastic tone he could muster up as he hobbled out with Tawny and Ridge.

"Bet that hurt to say," Ridge could only chuckle when hearing Infinite's words, prompting the younger jackal to scowl fiercely at him.

"Don't start," Tawny reacted. "Seriously, we've got enough enemies right now. We don't wanna be fighting each other, too."

Infinite silently agreed, continuing to hobble along with Tawny's aid, but leaving the city wasn't going to be easy. Everyone was searching for them. Sonic, Shadow, the Resistance… everyone.

"Oh, man," Tawny then said. "The streets are being patrolled."

"This is the part where we usually run," Ridge pointed out, his eyes then drawn to Infinite. The young jackal only frowned.

"What's your point?" he growled.

"We've gotta get away without being seen," Tawny planned. "I don't really feel like fighting off an army of angry good guys."

"Let's head to Green Hill," Ridge decided. "I doubt anyone's there now."

"It's Sonic's favourite spot, isn't it?" Tawny recalled. "Besides, I'm sure plenty of guards are already protecting the city exit which leads there."

Just then, Infinite remembered something. "We can swim there," he announced, causing the other two to stare at him. "The river which flows through this city connects to Green Hill. We can emerge from the water in one of the area's caves."

Ridge grinned. "That's not a bad idea, Infinite," he replied with a hint of force, as if trying to get on the younger jackal's nerves.

"I feel like you're enjoying my identity being exposed far too much," Infinite grumbled.

"Guys, hurry up, we haven't got time to waste," Tawny interjected. "Let's head for the river and get moving!" Her eyes were then on Infinite. "You sure you can swim with those ribs?"

"I'll be fine," Infinite grunted. "Let's go."

And, as they said they would, the trio dived into the water, with Infinite at first struggling to move. Moving his arms in such a motion felt like he was tearing himself apart.

Seeing the struggle, Tawny held him under her arm and swam with the other, managing to move through the water with him until they were safe within a cave no different to the one Infinite had previously been in. Both Ridge and Tawny helped bring him to the surface, and that's where the canines decided to lie down for a rest.

"This is exciting," Ridge decided to say. "I haven't been this wanted in a long time."

"What a shame," Tawny sighed. "I kinda liked that city."

So did Infinite, surprisingly, but he didn't say it.

"Well, I'm gonna have a nap," Ridge announced, stretching as he lied down on his side. "You kids do whatever; I doubt we need anyone to stand guard."

"You can never be so sure," Infinite countered.

"I'm a man who takes risks," Ridge replied, glancing over his shoulder to look back at the former mercenary. "I thought you were, too."

"Don't test me," Infinite growled, painfully lying himself down. Ridge only chuckled and shook his head, not responding to the threat which Infinite could barely act on in his current state.

Tawny lied herself beside Infinite, tempted to get close for warmth, but she held herself back knowing that she could cause discomfort or even pain for the jackal's ribs. Noticing her distance, Infinite turned his head to face her.

"Afraid?" was all he asked her, certain that she feared him now that she knew he was Infinite.

"Of you?" Tawny responded, then laughing quietly. "Nah. You're still grumpy little Zero to me. Besides, it's kinda cool. You're also the big bad Infinite, the famed monster who defeated Sonic and took over most of the world!"

"Not anymore," Infinite muttered.

"But you were that guy once," Tawny pointed out. "Recently, too. Nobody else can say that they were once Infinite." She chuckled to herself. "Man, who would've thought someone like Infinite could make friends and actually socialise with people? Where was I when you were destroying everything? I could've just befriended you and the war would've been over."

"You think too highly of yourself," Infinite denied. "I had no interest in friends. I only cared about power and creating an interesting world of despair. You met me when I was at my lowest."

"Excuses, excuses," Tawny smirked. Infinite frowned at her.

"You would have been obliterated," he argued.

"Unless I pledged allegiance to Eggman and befriended you from there," Tawny countered, still smirking.

"No," was all Infinite said to that. Just no. Why was this conversation happening?

…Then again, it was better than being in that cell. It was better than being alone.

Tawny's weird conversations definitely were something one could grow attached to.

In fact, the more that he thought about it, Infinite could barely stifle a very small laugh, which Tawny picked up on.

"Dude, are you laughing?" she gasped with surprise. Infinite stopped himself, but a small smile remained on his face for a few seconds before it disappeared.

"I laughed a lot when I was Infinite, you know," he clarified.

"Evilly," Tawny added.

"It counts," Infinite defended. "In fact, I smiled a lot. I smiled and laughed much less when I was Zero."

"I'm starting to like Infinite a little more," Tawny smiled. "You should've kept your mask off when you were taking over the world; you have a cute smile."

Cute?

Well, now he was insecure about smiling. He could never be cute.

"Cute?" the now-frowning jackal murmured irritably.

"In a cool way," Tawny corrected. "It's a tough-guy smile, but it's cute."

"Don't say I'm cute, that's degrading," Infinite commanded.

"Alright, tough guy," Tawny chuckled. Infinite kept his frown, but then relaxed slightly and sighed.

"I suppose I missed you," he confessed quietly. Tawny smiled brightly.

"Aw, well, haven't you grown since we met?" she reacted.

"You're interesting," Infinite described. "More interesting than the doctor and his ruined plans."

"Good," Tawny said back. "I'd be insulted if he were more interesting."

"He's a predictable man," Infinite recalled. "I'm not a fan of predictability."

"I can tell," Tawny noted. "Anyway, let's get some rest. We might need to move again before this place gets searched."

"Right, Infinite agreed, closing his eyes. The air was silent, damp and cold. It was not an easy environment to sleep in, but not the worst.

Still, it was better to get any warmth necessary in order to gain some form of comfort.

So, Infinite shuffled closer to Tawny and snuggled into her, just for warmth. The coyote-jackal smiled and put her arm around him, holding him closer.

The rest was peaceful and difficult to disturb.

But it could definitely be disturbed by somebody pressing their foot into his broken ribs.

Infinite snarled and his eyes snapped open, seeing that it was already the next day. He had slept soundly, as had the other two, but he had been awakened to a Lightning Wispon being held close to his face.

"Well, well, well," said Blizzard as his cold eyes locked with Infinite's. "Isn't this an interesting reunion?"

 **~End of Chapter~**


	21. Captains of Lost Squads

**~Captains of Lost Squads~**

Infinite took a moment to realise what was going on. Sitting up wasn't going to help him, with Blizzard keeping him pressed down. The jackal instead glanced around, spotting Sandy stood by Ridge and Tawny, who both had their hands firmly tied behind their backs.

"Don't look at them," Blizzard hissed. "Look at me."

Well, this could be interesting.

Infinite turned his head, staring up at the white fox. All emotion had left his own gaze. There was no anger or worry, just emptiness. He had nothing to show this other canine at all.

"I always thought you died when the rest of your squad was killed by Shadow," Blizzard continued, "yet here you are, hiding in some cave after the whole city found out your dirty little secret. Not only are you a heartless little mongrel, but you're Infinite."

"I take offense to the mongrel comment," Tawny piped up, earning herself a glare from Blizzard.

"Be quiet," he spat. "This is between me and Zero." His eyes returned to the jackal. "If that is even your name anymore."

"What do you want?" was all Infinite asked in response. Blizzard almost looked to be in disbelief.

"What do I want?" he repeated quietly, pressing his foot harder against Infinite's chest. "I want revenge. You murdered my squad."

"At least more of you survived compared to mine," Infinite countered bluntly.

"It would have been better if I had killed yours," Blizzard shot back with venom. "And I would've made sure you weren't the only survivor. Why you? Why you and not Striker or Barrett or Kali? They were always decent. You were always cold, and you've only grown colder over the years."

"Are we allowed to say anything in his defence?" Tawny questioned, not liking the tension.

"I told you to be quiet!" Blizzard snapped. "How could you possibly defend this monster after everything he did? He attacked the city with Remnant when the civilians thought the war was over!"

"That was mind control," Ridge added.

"Of course," Blizzard huffed, shaking his head. "Were all the other times mind control, too? Were you being controlled when you killed my squad, Zero? Do you even remember their faces like I do?"

"Of course, I do," Infinite growled, glaring up at the arctic fox. "I remember everyone I have to kill. Even when I was crushing thousands upon thousands of civilians, I remembered their faces. I would never forget your squad, and I didn't enjoy killing them one bit." His eyes narrowed. "But that doesn't mean I regret my decision. I did what I had to do for money. You would have done the same."

"You're wrong," Blizzard snarled. "River was a good leader. He wouldn't have accepted a job which involved us killing you."

"He wouldn't have," Infinite agreed. "But that's because he feared us. He knew we'd defeat you." Blizzard pressed his foot down harder, and Infinite grimaced.

"Stop!" Tawny yelled suddenly. "This isn't gonna solve anything! We have bigger problems right now! Remnant's still out there!"

"Right," Blizzard nodded sarcastically. "Remnant. The fox which was transformed into a monster by the very man you worked for, Zero."

Infinite was merely silent this time, which only angered Blizzard more. He removed his foot and grabbed the jackal by his chest fur, pinning him against the bumpy cave wall with one hand.

"Is this a joke to you?!" he barked. "Is it funny that you've done so much damage?! You slaughtered thousands after your transformation and hundreds before then! The world is damaged because of you!"

"You would have done the same if given the Phantom Ruby," Infinite said quietly, remaining calm. "You mustn't act so pure, fox. You killed as many as I did back with your squad. You were raised to kill, much like I was. You only changed into a "good guy" because of what I did to you and your friends. If I hadn't done that, you'd still be a cold-blooded killer."

"You're seriously trying to justify your actions?" Blizzard reacted, surprised and irritated. "You'd be laughing in my face if I didn't have a Wispon at the ready and you at my mercy."

"I'm not justifying them, I'm stating a fact," Infinite corrected. Blizzard bared his teeth and looked ready to really hurt the former Jackal Squad leader, and the look in his eyes was recognised by Infinite. It was the look of someone who had lost everything. Someone who had watched everyone he loved die.

It was a look he was familiar with because of his own experiences.

"I didn't want you to come to that factory," the jackal admitted. "I wish you had figured out it was a trap. I wish you and your squad could have left the area. But you fell for it. You led them into our ambush."

"I wanted to save River," Blizzard growled, defending his actions.

"River would have told you to never trust someone giving away their hostage's location," Infinite argued. "I knew him as well as you did, Blizzard, and I made sure his death was as painless as possible."

The last sentence made Blizzard yell in rage, throwing the black-furred jackal to the ground. "Stop hiding behind excuses and face what you did!" he roared. "You didn't have to kill any of them!"

Infinite lifted his head, pushing himself up into a sitting position. His mismatched eyes were focused on Blizzard once again, and his head tilted when he spotted a scar on the fox's abdomen. Small, but noticeable.

"I did," he corrected. "We're mercenaries. Both of us. We have to kill once we accept a job, and the task of killing Squad 13 was given to us after we made our deal. It was too late to back down without consequences." His frown became firmer. "Besides, I let you live, didn't I?"

"My survival was a mistake and you know it," Blizzard snapped. Infinite shook his head, pointing towards Sandy, who still silently stood guard over Ridge and Tawny. Verbal confrontation was never the fennec's thing.

"His survival was a mistake," he said honestly. "We overlooked him and thought that he was dead once he was down."

"You didn't spare me," Blizzard denied. "You stabbed me and left me to bleed out. If I had been the last survivor, I would have died from my wound, anyway."

"Striker would have gone back for your," Infinite corrected. "He liked you. He liked Thorn. He liked Crimson. He liked Mini. He would have gone back for you once the doctor saw the others dead. I know he would have done that."

"And that's supposed to make me forgive you?" Blizzard growled. "You murdered everyone else, but sparing me was completely fine, hm?"

"It was better than killing you all," Infinite defended.

"Like hell it was," Blizzard hissed. "I've had to live with the guilt ever since."

"And I live with the guilt of letting my squad die," Infinite compared. "We're even."

"I didn't take over the world and slaughter anyone who disobeyed me," Blizzard pointed out. "Killing you here would put all of your victims to rest."

"You'd better kill yourself afterwards, because there were plenty of innocent people who died at your hands," Infinite countered. Blizzard frowned hatefully and gripped his Wispon tighter.

"Stop comparing yourself to me," he demanded through clenched teeth. "You and I are nothing alike. Not anymore. You took a dark path by choice after what happened to your squad. I took it without having the choice, until I found new reasons to live. You'll never understand that."

"Hey, hey, you can't kill him!" Tawny exclaimed almost fearfully. "He's… He's changed!"

"Tch," Blizzard almost chuckled. "Have you really? Or have you been manipulating her?"

Infinite glared silently. He didn't want to admit that he had changed. It would make him look pathetic, and it wouldn't change Blizzard's views on him.

"Why bother asking?" Blizzard asked himself. "You don't care about anyone. You never have done and you never will."

"You know that's a lie," Infinite snarled, finally growing a sense of anger towards the fox. "I killed your squad, Blizzard, but I would have done anything to protect my own."

"Clearly you didn't do enough," Blizzard shot back. "They all died. Including Kali."

Something snapped.

Infinite grabbed Blizzard's Wispon suddenly, pulling himself up to his feet as he pushed the fox again the wall with all of his strength, getting close to his face.

"Say what you want about me," he spat, "but bring in Kali and I'll finish what I started on you."

"There's the attitude I'm looking for," was all Blizzard responded with. "Do it, then, jackal. I dare you to try."

Infinite was not going to let Blizzard walk all over him. That wasn't his way. He didn't intend to kill him, especially since it would be useful to keep him around during the inevitable battle with Remnant, but he wasn't going to hold back much. He knew he wouldn't be able to do much damage in his current state, anyway, but he was going to do as much as he could.

The jackal pulled the Wispon swiftly from Blizzard's grasp and threw it to the side, keeping it away from the fox's reach. This movement caught Blizzard off-guard, giving Infinite the time to thrust his knee into his stomach.

"Blizzard!" Sandy called with worry as Infinite brought the white fox to the ground and pinned him on his front. The young fennec was about to help, but Blizzard shot a glare at him.

"Don't," he snarled. "Let him do it. Let him show his true colours!"

"You honestly believe I'm trying to kill you, you moron?" Infinite insulted, still keeping Blizzard pinned.

"Wouldn't put it past you; you did kill everyone else in my squad," Blizzard snapped back at him.

"Orders are orders," Infinite said simply, and saying that made Blizzard finally push back with all of his strength, rolling free and shoving the jackal onto his back.

"Is that it?!" Blizzard hollered. "Is that just your excuse for everything?!"

"Yes," Infinite maintained. He was loyal to his word. There was no problem with that.

The arctic fox, further consumed by rage, slammed his fist hard into Infinite's chest, and, because of his broken ribs, Infinite saw a flash of white light as pain rippled throughout his body.

 _He had to do this._

 _The scar-faced jackal lunged at Blizzard first, watching as the fox barely even reacted to his approach. He was hesitating to fight back._

 _Blizzard was about to use his gauntlets to shoot from, but he was knocked down to the ground with Jackal Squad's leader on top of him, and he suddenly gasped when something cold slipped through his abdomen._

 _Zero's sword._

 _The arctic fox stared with wide eyes, horrified that this had happened. Never before had he fell so swiftly to Zero._

 _Zero was actually trying to kill him and his squad._

 _He was working for Eggman, the one who had captured River._

 _Blizzard was in so much shock that he tried to shakily grasp the red blade so that he could pull it out of himself, but Zero kept it held firmly in place._

" _You shouldn't have come here," Zero whispered, with deadly emptiness still in his eyes. "River is gone. He's been gone for some time now."_

 _The jackal pulled the sword out and Blizzard wailed painfully. The fox could only watch as Zero ran towards the slaughter, which Jackal Squad was dominating. It was horrifying to watch Zero swing his sword at anything he saw that wasn't a jackal. He could only watch as his squad struggled to fight back, unable to fight them as his vision began to blur. He was already dead. He was dead before the rest of his squad, when he should have been protecting them._

" _Blizz!" he heard a voice yell, sounding as if he were currently underwater. Still, he was able to recognise that this voice belonged to Silk the Corsac Fox._

 _No…_

 _They couldn't kill Silk…_

 _Despite his vision being blurred, he could still see Silk as she jumped over his barely-moving body with her blonde hair still tied back and her white fur blending with her black dress. She would always fight in such an elegant, sophisticated manner, like many "classy" assassins, but she couldn't defeat seven jackals. She made a move to strike Kali while the female jackal was occupied fighting Nippy the Swift Fox, but Zero intervened to prevent his partner from being harmed. He slashed his sword as hard as he could, once he protectively threw himself in front of Kali, and that one sword slash was enough to stop Silk and send her falling to the ground, never to stand again._

 _Everything started to fade into black…_

Infinite's pain subsided, but it was still there. Blizzard was still gazing down at him with rage in his icy eyes, and Infinite really knew what had really ticked him off.

"This is about her…" he mumbled. Blizzard's eyes widened with rage. "Silk…"

"Don't even say her name!" Blizzard interrupted. "You killed her after you tried to kill me!"

"Again, those were my orders…" Infinite reminded.

"I don't care," Blizzard stated. "All I care about is sending you underground to join the rest of your squad. Then I will have finally avenged Squad 13."

Infinite pushed Blizzard off again, pushing himself swiftly to his feet, despite the agony it caused him. Sandy was the one to then retrieve Blizzard's Lightning Wispon, which he threw to his comrade, and Blizzard caught the device. He used it to whip Infinite, electrocuting the jackal's flesh, nerves and bones so that he fell to his knees.

"Stop resisting," Blizzard murmured as he walked towards him. "It's time you faced your death."

"Enough already!" Tawny yelled. "Blizzard, he took down Remnant not long ago! How bad can he be if he fought against the prototype ruby's control to defend the city from Remnant's wrath?!"

"It doesn't matter," Blizzard answered. "All that matters now is my revenge."

"Then you're no different to Remnant!" Tawny opposed. "Look where wanting revenge got him! He changed his identity and gave in to power just so he could finish off you and Sandy! He craves destruction and despair!"

Blizzard scowled at her. "Remnant was broken by this monster," he reminded her coldly. "Don't let him fool you. He's a killer who can never be redeemed."

"If he was so heartless, then I would already be dead," Tawny countered, which silenced the fox and even the jackal.

"C'mon, kids, we can settle this like adults," Ridge added in. "We don't need to fight."

"Tell that to him," Blizzard responded, gesturing to the collapsed Infinite. "Tell him that he doesn't need to fight." A silence followed, and Blizzard spoke up again. "Right. You won't. You know he's just a violent killer."

"Nah, we just kinda like fighting ourselves, actually," Ridge admitted with a smug grin before donning a more serious expression. "Still, don't kill him. I used to kill for revenge back when I was as young as you lot, and it never made me feel any better. It just made me angrier because they weren't around anymore. They were somewhere else, while I was still dealing with whatever they put me through."

Tawny looked at him oddly, silently questioning what kind of youth the older canine had, but now wasn't the time to strike up that kind of conversation.

Blizzard glared at Ridge, then at Infinite. He was silent yet still clearly hateful, but he lowered his Wispon. It was a moment of relief, but that relief quickly returned to being tension. "I'll never forgive you for what you did to my squad," the white fox stated, "but I don't want to be anything like you. I'm not going to kill you like how you killed my squad."

Infinite would have said something witty about how Blizzard would always be like him, knowing their similar pasts, but he said nothing. It would only make the situation worse, and he'd rather not suffer from anymore wounds.

The arctic fox nodded to Sandy, gesturing for him to untie both Ridge and Tawny, which the small fennec fox did without question. Blizzard then glared down at Infinite with nothing but hatred in his eyes. "You've fallen," he said to him quietly. "I can see that. You lost everything, then lost even more when the war ended. Perhaps it's better to see you struggling like this, with nobody to give a damn about you. You might even die fighting Remnant. Now, that would be poetic."

"Knock it off," Tawny cut in as she stood up, rubbing her wrists. "We care about him. I know you're enemies, and I know he's done some terrible things, but nobody's perfect, and we're not gonna stand by and let you talk down to him in such a way." She turned to look at Ridge. "Right?"

"Eh, you care about him more than I do," Ridge shrugged. "I don't mind him." Tawny frowned in response, not pleased at the lack of support.

"Don't involve yourself in this," Infinite commanded, keeping his eyes on Blizzard. "This is between us. His insults don't bother me."

"I'm gonna defend you whether you like it or not," Tawny refused stubbornly, pointing a warning finger at the jackal.

"Tch," Blizzard tutted, shaking his head as he folded his arms. "I'm surprised you're sticking up for him. Didn't you tell me that you were Remnant's girlfriend before his transformation?"

"Yeah, so?" Tawny replied nonchalantly. "We broke up and went our separate ways when he joined your squad. He said he would hand me over to the fur trade if he saw me again. I just think his new identity is what he was hiding from us all for so long."

"You don't hate Zero at all for what he did?" Blizzard interrogated.

"Not really," Tawny answered, looking back at the jackal for a moment before returning her focus to Blizzard. "I like him. He's grown on me."

"How?" Blizzard reacted. "How can you like him?" Tawny shrugged again.

"I dunno," she mumbled. "I just like him."

Blizzard stared at her, but then frowned. "He'll never care about you, or anyone, for that matter. He's a monster, and he always will be."

"Well, I guess he's my monster," Tawny decided, walking to Infinite's side and standing by him in a firm way. Her eyes were still on Blizzard. "And when Remnant does come back, I'll fight him beside this "monster". And I'll continue to remind this "monster" that he ain't alone. He does have people who care about him. He may've fallen, but he's risen back up."

Infinite stared up at Tawny oddly, still kneeling on the ground. This defensive side hadn't really been seen before. She had defended him a few times, but not like this. He honestly wasn't used to this serious side of hers. It was weird.

Why was it bothering her so much that Blizzard was trash-talking him? It was no big deal.

"Whatever," Blizzard murmured. "Come on, Sandy." The two foxes started walking, heading out of the cave, but Blizzard came to a halt and looked back at the trio. "I'll tell the soldiers that we found nothing here, but you should move along soon before Sonic runs through for fun and spots you all camped out here. Go to the Mystic Jungle or something." And with that said, Blizzard left, which left the cave in an awkward silence for a moment.

Tawny held her hand down to Infinite, helping the jackal to his feet. "You okay?" she asked him. "That Wispon strike didn't look too good. And man, I practically felt it when he punched you in the ribs."

"I've had far worse," Infinite assured her, pulling his hand away from hers. "Why did you defend me with such passion? That was unusual." Tawny laughed nervously and scratched behind her ear.

"It doesn't matter," she chuckled awkwardly. "I'm just glad that he didn't do too much damage."

"Well, verbally, he destroyed you," Ridge added with a small laugh. Infinite glared at him, but found himself distracted when Tawny hugged him, cautious of his ribs. The act was a surprise to him, and even surprised Ridge a little.

"You're okay," the coyote-hybrid mumbled into his shoulder. "I don't know what I would have done if… if things went south, if you know what I mean."

He knew what she meant: if Blizzard killed him. Why did she seem so bothered?

…Perhaps she was nervous about the upcoming battle with Remnant, whenever that would take place.

"I'm fine," Infinite assured her, pushing her back slightly. The female canine stared up at him, and the pair met eyes. The look Tawny gave him was somewhat familiar…

It was the same look Kali used to give him.

The jackal tilted his head curiously, his gaze somewhat empty. What was that look? What did it mean? Those eyes of interest, the small smile of pure happiness…

Wait, was Infinite looking back at her the way he used to look back at Kali? It felt like it, with the way he saw his reflection in her bright blue eyes…

The hybrid with light-brown fur seemed to snap out of some kind of trance and pulled herself away from the jackal, laughing strangely. "Well, I'm gonna go fishing," she announced. "We need some kinda food." She gave neither jackal any time to respond to her as she dashed off, which left the remaining two in confusion.

Ridge seemed to understand Tawny's reaction more than Infinite did, and he looked at the younger jackal with a raised brow. Infinite looked back at him, and then glared.

"What?" he growled.

"Nothing," Ridge responded with an almost-sly smile. "You sure you're not blind outta that eye of yours?"

"Why?" Infinite queried. Ridge shook his head.

"It doesn't matter," he replied, much to Infinite's irritation. He wanted to know what was so amusing that he couldn't see, but the older jackal continued to speak. "Why don't you get some water from that waterhole we came out from? Or bathe yourself? It should help with those electricity burns and maybe help with any rib pain you have."

"I'll be fine," Infinite snapped, not in the best of moods now that he felt as if he was missing out on something, but he did go and sit himself in the shallow part of the waterhole, anyway. He closed his eyes, letting the cold water soothe his pain as much as it could, but he just couldn't help but think about the strange behaviour from Tawny.

" _I know you're enemies, and I know he's done some terrible things, but nobody's perfect, and we're not gonna stand by and let you talk down to him in such a way."_

" _I'm gonna defend you whether you like it or not."_

" _I like him. He's grown on me."_

" _Well, I guess he's my monster. And when Remnant does come back, I'll fight him beside this "monster". And I'll continue to remind this "monster" that he ain't alone. He does have people who care about him. He may've fallen, but he's risen back up."_

" _You're okay. I don't know what I would have done if… if things went south, if you know what I mean."_

It was… weird. The way she defended him, the way she looked at him and held onto him, the way she nervously dodged the question…

Just what was wrong with her?

 **~End of Chapter~**


	22. Feelings

**~Feelings~**

Infinite remained sitting in the cave by himself once he was out of his waterhole, waiting for Tawny to return. Ridge was there with him, but the pair didn't really speak, and Ridge often went to scout the area in case any Resistance soldiers or volunteers were nearby.

At some point during his isolation in the cave, Infinite had decided to take a light nap – so light that he wasn't haunted by any past ghosts for once. Ridge had probably come into the cave at some point and left so that he didn't disturb the former terror, but Infinite would never have known.

After being awake, sometime after his nap and with Ridge sitting in the cave carving some figurine out of some wood he had ripped from a tree, Tawny finally returned with a large bundle of fish in her arms and a proud smile upon her face. They all looked as if they had been pierced.

"Here we go!" the coyote-jackal grinned. "Fresh fish, ready to cook or eat raw."

"What in the name of the Phantom Ruby did you catch them with?" Infinite couldn't help but ask, focused on the holes in their bodies. "Your teeth?"

Tawny could only chuckle in response. "No, silly," she laughed. "I used my grappling hook." She dropped the fish into a pile on the floor, then gesturing to her wrist. "See? I still have it."

Well, at least she didn't catch them all with her teeth, otherwise neither he or Ridge would want to eat them and they would starve.

"I'll start a little fire so we can cook 'em," Ridge volunteered, heaving himself up to his feet. "I'll go get some firewood."

"You already have some," Infinite corrected, pointing to the little wooden figurine the older jackal had been carving. Ridge looked at it before gasping and frowning at Infinite.

"This is a sculpture!" he informed. Infinite smirked, somewhat proud to have said something naturally insulting. He just watched as Ridge then left, taking his figure with him (probably so that Infinite wouldn't break it or something), which then left Infinite alone with Tawny. He was still confused about why she had been acting so strange.

Tawny stared at him weirdly with her big eyes before smiling, appearing really awkward. "So, hungry?" she asked him.

"Obviously," Infinite answered with a tut. "Why are you acting so… twitchy?"

"Twitchy? Ha! I'm not twitchy!" Tawny laughed, again seeming weird. "I'm just… well, y'know, nervous?"

The way she said that was not convincing at all.

"You have never once been nervous," the jackal confronted. "Not with the doctor or Metal Infinite or Remnant… or even with me. Why would you be nervous now, all of a sudden?"

"Because… I'm a fugitive?" Tawny excused with a big cheesy grin.

"It's not the first time, is it?" Infinite asked in a rhetoric manner, frowning. She had made it clear before that she hadn't exactly been the best person in the world.

The jackal approached her, watching her tense up as he stepped closer. Was she deep down just afraid of him? Was she slowly realising that Infinite was a terrifying being to be around?

"You look afraid," he observed, examining her with his mismatched eyes. "Is capture really what you fear when you've run away from much worse?"

"Maybe," Tawny replied. Definitely a defensive lie.

"Hmph," Infinite only said in response, staring at her for a moment before walking back to his spot by the waterhole. Tawny watched him, but then awkwardly made her way over as if afraid to go near him. The jackal frowned and looked up at her, seeing as she smiled strangely back at him.

"Do you need to bathe or something?" Infinite growled.

"No, no, I just… wanted to sit with you?" Tawny replied. Infinite narrowed his eyes; she had sat beside him enough times without caring, but suddenly she was acting like he was royalty who needed to give permission to her.

"Don't be an idiot," he huffed. "You can sit wherever you please. It doesn't concern me."

The coyote-jackal took a seat beside him, dipping her booted feet into the water. Infinite couldn't help but glare at her suspiciously. What had caused this sudden change in behaviour? The only thing that came to mind was Blizzard's confrontation.

And one thing Infinite recalled was that he was still asleep when Blizzard appeared.

What if this wasn't Tawny?

He had to make sure.

"You're behaving strangely," Infinite repeated. "Why is that?"

Tawny looked at him with big eyes. "Um… I just thought I was acting like me," she answered. Infinite frowned harder.

"You're definitely not yourself," he stated.

"I definitely am," Tawny combatted.

Infinite suddenly grabbed her by the front of her purple vest, leaping to his feet as he slammed her against the rocky cave wall. Tawny flinched and yelped, putting up her arms defensively to protect herself while Infinite bared his teeth angrily.

"Where is Tawny?" he asked through his teeth.

"Dude, I'm right here!" Tawny exclaimed, still trying to shield herself. "What's the matter with you?!"

"How can I be sure that you're not an imposter? A clone made by the doctor on Remnant's order? A clone made by the Resistance?"

"Why would they clone me?!" the coyote-hybrid countered.

"Tell me something only Tawny would know," Infinite demanded quietly, not dropping his guard.

"Seriously?!" Tawny reacted.

"Yes," Infinite replied simply. Tawny hesitated, but the jackal was displeased with her slowness. "I'm not giving you long to think."

"Alright, alright!" Tawny hyperventilated. "Um… I used to think Infinite was a robot so I thought Metal Infinite was the real deal!"

"Something else," Infinite pushed. Eggman might've overheard the real Tawny say that back when they were in his base.

"U-Um…! Ridge rescued me from Scar when I was younger!" Tawny stuttered. Infinite shook his head.

"Scar knows that, and I'm certain Remnant may have heard it," Infinite deflected, raising his free hand's claws to her neck. "Now, I'm giving you one last chance, duplicate."

Tawny closed her eyes tightly and looked away, but she didn't seem to be completely terrified. She just seemed confused and betrayed… perhaps this really was her and Infinite was just being paranoid. But he wasn't going to drop his guard, yet at the same time, he wasn't so sure he could hurt or kill her. Not anymore.

The coyote-hybrid trembled a little, still hiding herself. "O-Only I would know that I have feelings for someone, right? I never told you that yet…!"

No. She hadn't.

If this was a clone, that would be something that could be made up. But with the way she was acting, and the way she wasn't fighting back even when threatened, Infinite was growing more and more certain that this was Tawny after all.

Infinite growled a little, then dropping Tawny and shaking his head. "Hmph," was his response to being defeated in this confrontation. Tawny stood herself up, dusting herself off where necessary.

"Some apology," she grumbled. Infinite turned his back on her as he went back to the waterhole and sat himself down, but then his head tilted.

"You're acting strange because of your feelings," he observed, turning his head to face her. "Who do you have romantic feelings for?"

Tawny's beige muzzle seemed to turn pale as she stared back in horror at such a blatant question, but then she laughed nervously, scratching her head. "Ha! Good one," she responded. "Never said they were romantic, y'know…"

"It's obvious," Infinite interrupted. "What other feelings do people get? Nobody describes a simple friendship as "having feelings". They would not describe comrades or companions that way, or family, or people they fear. To have feelings is to be interested in someone romantically."

Tawny blinked, staring at him, and then frowned, unamused. "Man, for someone who had no problem slaughtering everyone for fun, you sure know way too much about romance," she grumbled.

"I had my moments," Infinite murmured in response, staring at his reflection in the water thoughtfully. Well, he only had one moment, and that was with Kali.

Tawny sat beside him again, staring at her own reflection which rippled beside the jackal's. Her head tilted slightly and she smiled at herself.

"Who is it?" Infinite questioned, causing Tawny's smile to drop. Infinite saw this in her reflection, until she faced him properly.

"That's a bit of a personal question to ask," she defended.

"I don't have boundaries," Infinite reminded her, then meeting her eyes with his own somewhat vacant ones. But a small look of disappointment and disgust appeared on his face. "Don't tell me it's Blizzard."

"What? No!" Tawny gagged. "I don't even know the guy."

"You don't want to," Infinite assured her. "He's boring, quiet, thinks he's some hero because he's redeeming himself and he seems more interested in complaining than caring about everyone else around him presently."

"Yeah, you got that right," Tawny agreed with a small laugh, which she quickly controlled before coughing awkwardly. "Not my kinda guy at all."

"Unfortunately, you seem like someone who would be interested in the stupid little fennec who just follows Blizzard around like he's actually worth something," Infinite responded. "He's got more spirit, from what I've seen, and I learned that he was a pickpocket for most of his life. You two would have a lot in common, save for the fact that he's converted to join the "heroes" now… and he's short."

"I don't like Sandy," Tawny told him, shaking her head in some kind of disbelief. "He's too squidgy." Infinite's ears went flat.

"Squidgy?" he reacted, even more unamused at this point. Tawny giggled behind her hand.

"Yeah!" she laughed. "I just wanna pick him up and squidge him like a teddy bear."

"I believe this is the part where we stop agreeing," Infinite interrupted. He'd squidge Sandy if he could – but he would squidge him until his bones broke and his body stopped moving, save for a few twitches here and there before life left his eyes.

"Look, it's neither of them," Tawny clarified. "They're too goody-two-shoes, anyway."

"They didn't used to be," Infinite muttered.

"Well, they are, now," Tawny confirmed. "You didn't really see them in that last battle. They were busy dealing with Remnant, but they were just so determined to save the city."

"So were you," Infinite countered.

"Not the same," Tawny battled. "They wanted revenge on Remnant and to stop him because they see him as their responsibility. They wanted to protect people. I… Okay, I did wanna protect people, but I was more bothered about the city itself. I like living there. I was just defending my home; war wasn't gonna be fun if I was on the losing side."

"Fair enough," Infinite tutted. That led him back to guessing; people would never say "yes" when a guess was right, but he had learned to recognise certain reactions. A look of pure disgust and disappointment was on his face this time as he frowned at her. "Do tell me that it's not Remnant…"

"No way!" Tawny gasped, offended at the guess. "He's too sadistic now. And we had a rough time together, anyway. Wouldn't like him again even if he were the last canine on the planet."

"Canine?" Infinite repeated. "What about hedgehogs, echidnas, cats…"

"Nope," Tawny cut in.

Interesting. Then again, it was mostly normal for people to be interested in their own species.

In which case, Tawny was in trouble if she only liked her own. She was half-coyote and half-jackal – there weren't many of those around.

Coyotes and wolves would often get together, and a thought came into Infinite's head, which he promptly had to get rid of. "If you like Scar or anyone else from Wolf Squad, I am not helping you break them free from their imprisonment," he stated. "That damn wolf shot me."

"Scar was aiming at me," Tawny reminded him. "Sure, Scar's okay, but we hate each other too much. I hate all of Wolf Squad."

That was his last best guess, considering that Tawny once did believe she was half-wolf and would no doubt want to be with one.

Infinite couldn't help but think about how weird this conversation was – not the conversation itself, but rather the fact that he was keeping it going, and had been the one to instigate it. In the last conversation about direct romance, which Tawny had started back when they were rescuing survivors together, Infinite quickly shut down the discussion to avoid it, but now here he was.

"I know no other canines which you know," the jackal then said, focusing on his reflection in the cool water once again. "I'll just assume that it's someone you know, perhaps a coyote, since that is the closest to your own species you're ever going to get." It was true; Tawny looked mostly like a coyote with her image and colour scheme. The real giveaway was her stripes.

That must be an odd thing to talk about. If she ever met some tough coyote, perhaps even from the lesser-known Coyote Squad, they would one day have to see that she had stripes on her back, indicating that she was a hybrid. Her little crush would be short-lived, then, if it was on someone who didn't know her secret, and according to her own words, not many people knew of her hybrid status.

Tawny tilted her head as she stared at Infinite, who was deep in thought. "You look moodier than normal," she noticed. "What, can a girl not like a guy?"

"It's perfectly natural," Infinite corrected. Then, why was he moody? He hadn't noticed himself, but looking at his reflection, he was definitely frowning.

"You look moody," Tawny repeated. "Hey, just because I have feelings for someone, it doesn't change who I am, so long as you quit asking questions."

"I'm not interested," Infinite assured her, sliding himself into the water.

"Good," Tawny nodded. "I'm glad that's settled."

"Don't let it distract you," Infinite advised. "And most certainly, do not let it define your personality." He had seen Amy Rose a few times during his conquest of the planet. She was definitely someone who had been defined by her feelings for the blue hedgehog, and it weakened her. If Tawny had feelings for someone, it could weaken her, too.

Like how it once weakened him.

"You don't need to be jealous, you know," Tawny then spoke up, making Infinite's ears stand tall before he scowled.

"Why would I be jealous?" he queried with clear annoyance in his voice. "Jealousy is not something which easily takes over my mind."

"I'm just saying," Tawny shrugged. "If you ever think "Oh, man, that totally amazing coyote-jackal hybrid has feelings for someone, boohoo", then don't be jealous."

"Tch," Infinite huffed, rolling his eyes. He stared into the water again as it cradled his body, but then Tawny's words sank in. Why would she be telling him not to be jealous? Not that he was, but if he was, why shouldn't he be?

He didn't try to think about it, but then his eyes went wide. He lifted his head and looked up at her from the waterhole, but said nothing. He just stared, and she stared back in an unreadable manner.

She didn't like people who were too good.

She wouldn't go with someone who didn't know her hybrid secret.

She wasn't going to go with someone she couldn't trust, or someone she had a bad past with.

She wasn't interested in anyone unless they were canines.

She told him that he didn't need to be jealous no matter what.

The two species which were closest to her own were coyotes… and jackals.

…No. Now he was just overthinking it. He made himself look away, shaking his head. "Why did we have this conversation?" he asked himself.

"You brought it up," Tawny reminded. "Otherwise, you were going to kill me."

"Your behaviour had changed," Infinite excused. "I had every right to be suspicious, considering I had been asleep before waking up to a strange version of you."

"Rude," Tawny murmured under her breath.

"Right," Infinite nodded before smirking ever so slightly. "You're already strange. I forgot." Tawny puffed out her cheeks and kicked some water at him.

"Hey!" she snapped. "I'll come in there, jackal."

"I'm not threatened by you," Infinite taunted emotionlessly.

"Oh, really?" Tawny reacted. "We'll see about that, Infinite!"

She used the name so playfully, as if that name was a mere joke now.

 _Oh, it was on._

Tawny slipped into the water, not even bothering to take her gear off. She was just in, and she used her hands to splash more water in his direction. "Ha! Take that!"

Infinite shook his head quickly and his nose twitched, but his head cocked to the side eerily before he smirked wider. "I'm about to make you regret your very existence," he assured.

"Good luck," Tawny grinned in response. "I don't see you doing much with those broken ribs." Infinite's smirk faded, but he didn't fully agree with her point.

The scar-faced jackal moved back against the wall, pushing himself away from it with his legs and launching himself through the shallow water towards Tawny. She made an attempt to move to the side, but he predicted it. Of course, she wouldn't just sit there and take it. He extended his arms and grabbed her suddenly, dragging her under water with himself, but they both were only under for a few seconds before Infinite resurfaced with her still in his grasp. She coughed, spluttering out some water, before flicking some water back in his face with her hand.

"Not funny, dude!" she scolded.

"The Phantom Ruby wasn't the only reason for my power and fear-inducing actions," Infinite reminded her almost coldly. "I'm not soft and forgiving. I'm merciless, and if I'm challenged, I don't hold back."

"This is why you have no friends," Tawny insulted, but it sounded as playful as most of her other remarks. Infinite only chuckled in a mostly unsettling way.

"It's why I have enemies," he commented. "People who fear me want me gone."

"And then you drown them for challenging you?" Tawny concluded.

"At times," Infinite agreed. "It depends on what resources I have to my disposal during the fight."

"Well, you got me," Tawny sighed. "You win, you're stronger than me, blah, blah, blah…"

It was somewhat satisfying to know that he could still be a threat and that he wasn't weak, but he knew that he would never do anything to Tawny. He may have been holding her in a firm grip with both arms, with her back to his chest, but he'd never hurt her. He'd only kill people who really wanted him dead, or people he really hated, and Tawny was not one of those people. She was one of the very, very few who he just cared about. They were friends.

Both canines seemed to lose themselves in the moment, with their thoughts wandering elsewhere. It was kinda comfortable like this; Tawny was being held and Infinite had something to hold.

Tawny leaned her head back into his shoulder, staring upwards thoughtfully with a small smile on her face. "Ever think about what you're gonna do once you've really recovered?" she asked him. Infinite shook his head.

"No," he answered. "I don't plan for the far future. I just do what comes naturally to me."

"Pfft," Tawny reacted. Infinite frowned.

"I used to think about it," he confessed. "That was a long time ago. I always found that thinking too far ahead would hinder me. It would distract me from the present."

"So, you don't have anything on your mind?" Tawny pressed.

"No, I do not," Infinite made clear. "I'm simply waiting to heal, then I will continue to hide."

"Guess I've gotta do the same," Tawny shrugged. "I can't exactly go back to the city when I'm a wanted criminal." She was silent for a moment before she smiled to herself. "But I do have some little thoughts that keep me going. Get wealthy by any means, live in a nice house which no one can find, maybe one day even adopt some children when I'm old enough to be considered responsible."

"That will be never, knowing you," Infinite couldn't help but comment.

"Says you," Tawny retorted. "You'd probably kill your own children for drawing on the dining table."

"Hmph, that's not true," Infinite huffed. "I'd merely give them a taste of pain and fear so that they would never do it again."

That sounded so much like something he would say, but at the same time, it didn't sound terrible. Most children were taught through fear, and pain sometimes came with that fear.

Tawny actually chuckled at his words. "Doesn't sound so bad, actually," she admitted. "Just sounds like being a parent."

It… did.

Now they were having a conversation about being parents? It was like they had both aged in this cave or something. Had they been there for years without realising?

…No. That thought was too dramatic and paranoid.

"Perhaps that's a goal I myself might one day obtain," the jackal said honestly. "They could continue my legacy. They could be heirs to my name. They could be my own personal pawns to use in battle."

"Well, of course, you'd come up with that image," Tawny laughed quietly, staring upwards in a thoughtful manner again. "I just imagine feeling like I've had my fun, with a house I'm proud of, feeling like I'd saved some orphans from miserable lives as I gave them the childhood I never had…" she paused for a moment and spoke really quietly as she finished her worded vision, "and I would go to bed every night, feeling safe in the arms of a strong, handsome jackal."

Jackal?

She had feelings for a jackal. That made sense. She was half-jackal.

…Infinite's amused smile faded away slowly as silence followed Tawny's words. He looked down at her, still holding her to his chest.

Was he… that jackal?

If he could have, he would have pressed further, asking what the jackal looked like or what his name was, but Tawny would have some clever answer to deflect it. He also didn't really want to ask questions. It might not have been him she was thinking of, or anyone specific at all.

Then, why would she say it?

He could only stare down at her with wide eyes. He didn't let her go. He continued to hold her. What was he supposed to say? Was he supposed to say anything at all? Or was he supposed to wait for her to say something?

…No. There was no need to speak. Both of them found the silence calming, and neither could really be bothered to move into a new position. Instead they were just there, in the water, closer to each other than they had ever been since they first met.

Tawny turned her head to look over her shoulder and up into Infinite's eyes. There was no fear in them. She didn't fear him. As for his own eyes, there was… something. His expression was always difficult to describe, unless it was full of anger. Anger was not there, that was for sure.

Before a word could be spoken, or a question asked, Ridge finally returned to the cave carrying some wood with a big proud smile on his muzzle.

"Got some firewood!" he called out. Infinite immediately released Tawny from his grasp, and she drifted away from him.

"Awesome," she responded to the news. Ridge looked at her, and his expression became one of confusion.

"Why are you in water with your clothes on?" he asked her. "They're gonna be all damp now… and you have no idea what germs are in that water." He looked at Infinite, as Infinite himself was one of the said germs. He noticed the implication and glared slightly at the older jackal.

"I wasn't bathing, I was just cooling off," Tawny shrugged, pulling herself out of the water and shaking herself until she was as dry as she could be. She looked down at Infinite. "Need a hand, broken-ribs?" Infinite's glare was now on her as she offered a hand to him. He pushed it away and pulled himself out, grimacing a little.

"Well, neither of you two can light the fire, now that you're both soaking wet," Ridge complained. "I'm gonna have to light this thing and cook the fish on my own while you two just sit and dry off."

"We'll help you cook fish while we dry ourselves," Tawny smiled cheekily. Ridge smiled and shook his head, rolling his eyes in a not-so-serious manner.

"You'd better," he said to her. "Or else I'm eating them all." Tawny frowned in the same not-so-serious way.

"Hey, I caught all of those," she reminded him.

"Fine," Ridge acknowledged, looking towards Infinite. "You've done nothing, so you're gonna have to make up for it by cooking your own fish."

"Fine by me," Infinite agreed quietly. He watched as Tawny went to go and sit down by the pile of fish she had brought in, sorting them into three even piles, but he didn't join her for a moment. He just stared in silence, almost with a glare on his face, before walking over and deciding to help. It was probably fair, since he wasn't going to be doing anything else, and both Tawny and Ridge had already played their part in leaving the cave and gathering survival resources.

But while sorting, Infinite's mind was elsewhere. He didn't speak to Tawny, or even look at her. He was just thinking.

Just thinking.

Just.

Thinking.

About…

The "strong, handsome jackal"…

 **~End of Chapter~**


	23. Fugitives

**~Fugitives~**

The three canines each sat by the fire with a fish skewered on a stick each, but it was silent. Ridge was the one who looked the most weirded out by the silence, and it took him a while to speak up to put an end to the awkwardness.

"So, either of you two got any ideas of where to go after this?" he asked the other two. They both just shrugged and started eating, which made Ridge frown. "Hey, are you two giving me the cold shoulder or something? Too old for you?"

"No," Tawny assured him after swallowing a chunk of her fish. "I'm just… tired."

"Well, Infinite can't be tired," Ridge countered. "I saw you napping earlier, kiddo."

"I don't feel like speaking," Infinite said honestly. His expression matched with his words.

"Well, that's believable," Ridge settled, since he knew at this point just how difficult the former terror could be. It was amazing to even get him sitting by a pathetic little campfire.

"Why don't we just go to Mystic Jungle like Blizzard said?" Tawny then suggested, changing the subject to return to Ridge's original question.

"That's too obvious," Infinite growled irritably. His glare then locked onto the coyote-hybrid. "Don't you have homes located throughout the world? I recall you previously mentioning one which was your true home – one which nobody knew the location of."

"Well, my true home is kinda far," Tawny replied, "but I do have a place in Metropolis."

"The doctor's city?" Infinite questioned.

"Yeah, duh-brain," Tawny told him. "It was an easy spot for when I used to work for him. Y'know, before _your squad_ came and took my job." There was a hint of amusement in Infinite's expression.

"So, you want us to go to Metropolis?" Ridge asked. "Seems risky, but I think we're more wanted by the good guys than the bad guys."

"And nobody will suspect us," Tawny added. "I doubt Remnant or Eggman will go looking for my home. They'll think I'm still around this area."

"Then we should get moving now," Infinite concluded, placing his stick on the floor and standing up. "We cannot stay here for much longer. If we are found, then we will all be locked away, and we'll be sitting ducks for Remnant."

"I really don't want him to kill me," Tawny extended thoughtfully, nodding her head. "Alright. I'll show you guys the way."

"I know the way to Metropolis," both Ridge and Infinite said in unison before giving each other odd looks.

"But not to my house," Tawny reminded as she let out a heavy sigh.

"Do we know what state Metropolis is in?" Ridge queried.

"The damage barely struck some parts," Tawny remembered. "And some of it has been repaired faster than the city we were living in. My area was barely affected."

"The city's pretty big," Ridge then said. "I doubt anyone would really notice if we snuck in."

"Then, let's go," Infinite repeated with more irritation, heading out of the cave.

"Hey, hey, slow down, tough guy!" Tawny called after him, following quickly. Ridge did the same, without much choice, once he had put the fire out.

The journey to Metropolis was a long one, especially since the trio had to keep themselves hidden. It couldn't be a simple walk in silence with nothing eventful, and every now and then the three canines needed to stop for breath. Ridge's age didn't make him any better at travelling on foot and Infinite's broken ribs certainly slowed him down and depleted him of his energy.

"Can we stop here for a bit?" Ridge panted, leaning against a tree. "These old bones need a rest, kids."

"You're not even that old," Tawny couldn't help but correct with a chuckle.

"I agree that a rest is preferable," Infinite chose to add as he sat down by a different tree, showing that he was not going to be convinced to keep moving until he had rested for long enough.

"Okay, we're resting now, I guess," Tawny narrated, sitting down near the two. "We're not far from the jungle's end. Metropolis isn't too far from here."

"Good," was all Infinite grumbled.

"We still need to keep a low profile," Tawny continued. "Somewhere in that city, Eggman is fixing up Remnant. If he spots us, he'll send his robots and Remnant after us."

"Let's hope he's too busy fixing the fox to look at his surveillance cameras," Ridge hoped, rolling his eyes subtly.

"He only looks at the surveillance cameras when he's worried about Sonic or other potential intruders coming after his not-so-secret plans," Infinite told the other two. "He will not be looking for us. There are not many cameras, anyway."

"Keep forgetting you know more about Egghead than I do," Tawny replied.

"I was the commander of his army," Infinite reminded her simply.

"You stole my job," Tawny repeated.

"You were never going to be a commander," Infinite countered easily.

"Hey, you don't know that," Tawny huffed, folding her arms. "I could've been given the Phantom Ruby and turned into something cool."

"I don't think you had the potential," Infinite told her in a mostly playful manner, barely holding back his smirk.

"Kids, we're supposed to be taking a break," Ridge spoke up tiredly. "Save the arguments for when we get to Tawny's place."

"I'll certainly be putting this argument on hold," Tawny decided, folding her arms as she glared at Infinite. She didn't appear to be serious; as always, she spoke in a light-hearted and playful manner.

Once the short rest was over, the group continued to walk, but the sun was beginning to set. "Darn," Ridge cursed. "We'll never make it to the city before dark, and we're gonna need some shut-eye or else we'll pass out on the way."

"If we must sleep, then it has to be somewhere hidden," Infinite pointed out. "We don't know what criminals wander these woods, and we will be at risk of being arrested if we remain in the open while we rest."

"I say we sleep in the trees," Ridge suggested. "It doesn't look like there are any caves nearby, and this forest is pretty dense. We can probably find some pretty big branches to sleep on, or if we're lucky we might even find some tree holes."

"We shall settle with whatever we can find," Infinite stated. "I have no difficult with sleeping on branches. As for you two, I can only hope that you're not foolish enough to fall while you rest."

The trio did exactly that, searching for a suitable place to rest. They didn't stumble upon a cosy little tree hole, much to their disappointment, but they still found some suitable branches and rested there.

They slept…

 _Remnant stood with fire surrounding him. He was upgraded. Better than before. Not a scratch was on him. His unwounded body and smug smirk made Infinite hate him more than he already could, and he could feel his gloved fists clenching wearily. He had been worn out in combat, but how? Why could he not do anything?_

" _You'll never be better than me," Remnant spoke up as he walked through the flames and ruins of what was once a city. "You've fallen. Your power is gone forever."_

" _Take those enhancements off and I'll show you who's better," Infinite snarled viciously. "I'll rip out your other eye. I'll slice off your other ear. I'll cut off your arms so that they can be buried with your legs."_

 _Remnant could only chuckle. "Why would I take these enhancements off when they're helping me win?" he asked him. "To be fair? That's not how fighting works, Zero."_

" _Stop calling me that," Infinite commanded quietly._

" _Why? It's who you are now," Remnant countered. "You can't call me Mercury because he and I are now so different from one another, but you and Infinite… well, Infinite's been gone for a while now, hasn't he?"_

" _I'll make sure there's nothing left of Mercury OR Remnant," Infinite spat. "You'll be reduced to nothing. Nobody will remember you, and those who do will hate you."_

 _Remnant shrugged. "You have a point there," he grinned coldly. "The ones who remember Mercury are gone."_

 _Infinite raised a brow, but suddenly he realised what he meant. He turned around and sprinted away, jumping over fallen buildings to find Tawny. Even Blizzard and Sandy were on his mind._

 _A hand, protected by a long brown glove, could be seen poking out limply from a pile of rubble. Infinite's eyes widened and he immediately dug through the debris until exposing the roughened-up body of the familiar coyote he knew. A tear in the back of her dust-covered purple vest revealed parts of her white stripes, further confirming that this was indeed Tawny._

 _He tried to pull her out, but saw that her second arm was around something. A small child with black fur and a white tuft of hair, also covered in dust and rubble. His tall ears indicated that he was a young jackal, and Infinite quickly realised that this was Ace._

 _Infinite desperately pulled them both from the rubble and lay them down, but nothing happened. Neither of them moved or coughed. He put his ear to their chests…_

 _Nothing._

 _He felt something drip down his cheek._

 _A tear._

 _More came._

 _Tears streamed and his body shook. He was trembling more than he was when he lost his squad at the hands of Shadow the Hedgehog. He was… devastated._

 _He couldn't contain a complete howl of anguish._

Infinite fell from his tree in terror, hitting the ground hard. He grimaced and held his chest, with the pain in his ribs once again demanding his attention. The jackal slowly pushed himself up to his knees, giving himself a moment to breathe and catch his breath before he stood up. He had thankfully been taken back to reality.

But his reality check made him realise something. He couldn't run away from the fight. He had to fight Remnant if he didn't want to lose anything else. But how would he be able to? It almost felt like his own defeat at Remnant's hands was inevitable, and he would only be dragging Tawny, Ace and Ridge into it. He couldn't lead anymore lives to their deaths because of his own interests and personal faults. He had to be away from them.

The jackal started walking, trying to be quiet as he left the area. He would head to Metropolis alone. He would find the doctor and Remnant. He would kill Remnant before he could be improved. It had to be done, or else the world was doomed. Everyone he cared about was doomed.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Well, that's what happens when you fall out of a tree in the early hours of morning.

Infinite stopped walking and turned his head to look behind him. "We need to stop Remnant," he clarified. "We need to stop him before he can be made into something more powerful."

"And you're gonna do that by wandering off on your own and getting lost?" Tawny asked him as she stepped closer. "You won't do anything but get yourself killed if you try anything now."

"While he's wounded?" Infinite added. "I'll do more than I could against him at full power."

"It's gonna take a while for him to fix himself," Tawny reminded. "You have time to heal those broken ribs, and in that time, we can even come up with a plan of some sort. We can probably find our own tech and weapons to use against him. And the good guys will step in, too."

"People will be killed," Infinite predicted, turning his head to face forwards again. "It will be like when I was at my strongest. People will die, Tawny. And he will laugh as he dances through the destruction."

"You are possibly the most stubborn guy I've ever met," Tawny told him. "You can't be ditching us now, dude!"

"You shouldn't involve yourself in this," Infinite said as he started walking again. "This is not a job for a bounty hunter and a thief. It's a job for a killer. A mercenary. I must do this alone."

"I'm not turning my back on the fight now," Tawny stated firmly. "Ridge won't, either!"

"And you call me stubborn," Infinite tutted as he continued walking. He heard Tawny running up towards him, and she grasped his wrist firmly, causing him to once again stop walking, but he didn't look back at her.

"Why are you so difficult?" she asked him, almost with that rare sadness in her tone. Infinite, for some reason, felt angered by this question. He turned around and started pushing her back, now with his own hold on her arm.

"Difficult?" he asked. "Why am I difficult? I have no idea, Tawny. Perhaps it might be because I am the one who Remnant truly wants to destroy because of what I did to him. Perhaps I'm difficult because every fibre of my being is built on hate and anger. Perhaps it's because I've been a killer ever since I was a child – a killer with no heart." He pushed her up hard against a tree and bared his teeth. "Perhaps it's because I was once the greatest threat to the world who lost everything in an instant!"

Tawny stared back at him tearfully, but as usual she showed no true fear of him. Just that sadness she had expressed few times before. "I know," was all she replied with quietly, which was a somewhat surprising response to hear.

Infinite let her go, and Tawny continued to speak even as he turned his back on her. "I already know everything that makes you who you are. I just… I just don't want you to turn your back on me."

There was a silence, and Tawny continued to speak, but her voice was wavering and sounded shakier than usual. "I was alone, too, y'know," she told him. "For years I was on my own, trying to fight for survival. I was hiding my stripes so that nobody sold me for my fur. I wouldn't open up to anybody or tell them the truth. The only person I ever opened up to in all my time being alone chose to turn his back on me and threaten my life. I don't want to lose you. I… I _can't_ lose you. Infinite, Zero, whoever you believe you are now… You're…" she took in a shaky breath, "you're… everything to me…"

Infinite's ears perked only slightly and he turned his head to slowly look back at her, seeing as she stood with her head bowed as tears dripped to the floor. Him. He was everything to her. How could he ever be everything to anybody?

He took a step closer to her…

And stopped.

He shook his head and looked away. "I shouldn't be," he murmured. "I shouldn't be anything to anybody anymore."

"But you are," Tawny sniffled, raising her head to look at him as tears continued to drip. "You wanted to know the truth about why I was acting so weird before? It's because I really do… well, I…" She was tripping up on her own words. Someone like her couldn't say something so… cheesy. "Oh, come on, y-you know what I'm trying to say!"

He did. He knew exactly what she was trying to say, but he just didn't want to believe he was hearing it. He didn't want anyone to care about him. Not if he would only lead them to be killed.

But did he… feel anything similar?

She was always the one he was worried about. She was the one he literally took a bullet for. He behaved like he used to behave around Kali when with her; protective and, in his own way, caring, with what little care he could give to anyone nowadays.

He couldn't think about it. Romance was not his interest. It couldn't be. It would weaken him.

"Infinite," Tawny spoke up once again, taking him away from his thoughts. "I don't… want to lose you…"

"…And I don't want to lose you," Infinite confessed under his breath. Tawny's ears stood tall as she stared at him. He didn't want to face her. He couldn't. Not when his own expression was one of confused sorrow. He wasn't supposed to feel love or anything of the sort ever again. It shouldn't be in his nature.

Tawny hesitantly stepped closer to him, closing the gap between them, and suddenly threw her arms around him, burying her face into his shoulder. She wept like never before, and almost felt like she had fallen limp against him, as if she had given up on something. The wilted feeling only caused him to hold her tightly, having flashes of the night terror he had recently awakened from.

Seeing her dead… was possibly his worst nightmare.

He held her close in a grip that he had never held her with before. It wasn't one of hesitance or awkwardness, but one of sincerity. He found himself shaking as his hold tightened, but he was fighting back any tears that wanted to escape.

Someone loved him. Someone who knew who he was. Someone he cared for back.

He would never have thought he would feel this way, especially towards that obnoxious bounty huntress, but they both knew each other so well. They both cared about one another, and they couldn't bear the thought of losing each other.

"I won't go," he muttered softly, still fighting back his tears. "But if you are making me stay, then it's only fair that you don't leave, either."

"I won't" Tawny sobbed. "I will never leave you. Ever. Life without you isn't the same after all we've been through. It's so… dull…"

Using his favourite descriptive word. Dull. Yes. Life was so terribly dull before. Everything about it was dull.

But now… there was something shining bright in it.

And it would only further his determination to put an end to Remnant. He had to protect what he now had. Nothing would take it away from him. No villains, no heroes, no laws, no crimes… nothing would tear him from her. Anything that threatened to separate them would be destroyed.

Remnant was about to become the example.

 **~End of Chapter~**


	24. Moving On

**~Moving On~**

It was peaceful.

Everything was just so… quiet now. All that could be heard were the morning birds and the ripples of nearby water, and the fluttering wings of insects as wind brushed through the tree leaves.

Infinite was laying on his back, staring up at the sky, and beside him Tawny was doing the same. She had slept, but the jackal had remained awake this whole time, though sometimes he did feel as if he were sleeping with his eyes wide open.

Tawny turned her head to look at him, still only just waking up from her short rest. The sun was only just rising, and the beams of morning light cut between the tree branches to shine down on the area.

"What are you thinking about?" the coyote-hybrid asked, almost yawning. Infinite let out a loud sigh.

"You've just woken up, and that's what you choose to ask me?" he responded. Tawny shrugged.

"You look so focused," she pointed out.

"I'm tired," Infinite admitted, "but there's no time for me to sleep. We need to find Ridge and get moving."

"We're not gonna get very far if you're so tired," Tawny warned. "I'll have to carry you again like I did that time when I first found you."

"And that would be amusingly ironic," Infinite commented almost smugly, staring back up at the sky.

Tawny frowned at him. "How about I make my father carry you?" she then suggested, a smirk appearing suddenly on her face.

Okay, that was something Infinite really didn't want to happen.

"I'll be fine," he assured the hybrid, forcing himself to stand up. "I was once capable of going without sleep for days."

"Weirdo," Tawny chuckled as she stood up with him. The insult wasn't really appreciated by the jackal, but there was one thing about it that made him feel some kind of warmth: nothing between the two had changed. They were still themselves.

"Tawny! Zero!" came the echoed voice of the distant Ridge. "I swear, if you kids keep disappearing like this, I'm gonna have a heart attack!"

"And he wonders how people are able to find us when he shouts so loud," Infinite grumbled, glancing to Tawny. "Let us go to him before he attracts unwanted attention."

Tawny walked beside him, laughing quietly. "He's been an outlaw for years; he's no fool," she said, absentmindedly reaching to hold Infinite's hand while walking. The jackal immediately pulled his hand away the moment he felt the graze of one of Tawny's fingers.

"We're not doing that," he clarified, picking up his pace to walk ahead of the hybrid canine. Tawny pouted and jogged after him.

"Well, what are we _supposed_ to do, now that we're a thing?" she asked, now walking by his side again.

"Not that," Infinite repeated.

"Then what?" Tawny queried. Infinite sighed and grabbed her firmly by the wrist.

"We'll do it this way," he answered, marching a little faster in the direction of Ridge's voice. Tawny practically stumbled along to keep up with him.

Infinite's grip was a little tight and she had to force herself to keep up with him, but the coyote did smile and tilt her head slightly. She couldn't expect much from a former world threat, and also, she really didn't want him to change so suddenly after their confession. If he were to suddenly start holding her hand and smiling sweetly at her… it would be more concerning than anything.

"By the way," Infinite spoke quietly as the drew closer to Ridge's location, "if you call us a "thing" again, I'm breaking your most valuable treasure." Whatever that was, he would find it out.

"You don't know what that is or where it is, so good luck," Tawny smirked with a small laughter following her words.

Infinite's ears stood tall with frustration as he continued with his little march silently, until he found Ridge standing confused and worried. The older jackal had an immediate look of relief on his face as he made his way over to the pair.

"Man, you kids need to quit making me worried!" he said to them both, then noticing the way Infinite was dragging Tawny along by her wrist. "What're you doing?"

Infinite stared at him, then realised what Ridge was referring to once he followed his gaze. He immediately let go of Tawny and folded his arms. "We were walking," he answered simply.

"Right," Ridge responded in an awkward tone before looking over to the jackal who was mostly coyote. "So, kiddo, when do you wanna head to Metropolis? Now?"

"The quicker we get there, the better," Tawny decided. "Then we'll have time to sit down, not worry about getting our butts kicked, and plan on how to deal with Remnant once he returns."

"Hopefully dreadlocks here can heal up by then," Ridge gestured, earning himself a glare from the younger jackal.

"We'll just have to see how it goes," Tawny stated, distracting the pair from each other as she then began walking. "Follow me, then. There's no time to waste!"

The walk had gone uninterrupted, so much so that Infinite could barely remember any of it. There was walking, a bit of talking… and nothing else. The only thing he did notice was the sun as it changed its position over the course of the day, and by now it was definitely late afternoon.

The bright white metropolitan city came into view. The buildings were tall. Intimidating. The place actually felt unfamiliar to Infinite, since every time he was here, he would be flying high in the sky or standing atop a building. He even let his eyes close for a brief moment as he tried to recall how it felt to fly at such a height…

"Hey, don't be falling asleep now," Tawny's voice commanded, bringing the striped jackal back to reality. "We're almost there."

Infinite just silently continued walking towards the city's boarder, not really tuned in to the conversation between Ridge and Tawny, until they seemed to have accomplished something.

"There! Entrance!" Tawny announced, pointing down to a little hole she had uncovered. "There are so many bounty hunters who use this to get in and out of the city. It goes right under the walls and leads into the underground sewage system."

"How delightful," Infinite couldn't help but comment with a slight sassy flick of his brow.

"You are _so_ high maintenance," Ridge retorted.

"It's not a long journey," Tawny assured. "We're just gonna be walking for about ten minutes, then we'll find a marked manhole cover and climb outta that. My little home won't be too far from there."

"Good," Infinite said, immediately shoving Ridge down the hole first. There was a very short echoed sound of the older canine screaming until he splashed into the shallow water, and Infinite couldn't help but peer into the hole to try seeing him. "How pleasant is it down there?"

"You little furball!" Ridge shouted up at him, his voice still echoed. "If your ribs weren't broken, I'd shove you down the next hole we come across!"

Infinite was silent because he realised something. Getting down there was quite literally going to be a pain, and it could damage his ribs further, but there didn't seem to be any other way.

Well, until Tawny put an arm around him.

"There's no way you could make that jump without hurting yourself," she calculated. "Come on." Her hand moved to grasp his, much to his immediate annoyance, but concern flooded his mind rapidly as the hybrid girl jumped down the hole with him, sliding along the steep and bumpy slope until she tripped up on one of the many sharp rocks. This caused him to fall, too, but Tawny grabbed hold of him and turned over, making her land on her own back with Infinite in her arms on top of her.

Both of the fallen canines couldn't help but grimace, since the impact had still hurt them both, but Tawny had definitely taken most of the pain and had certainly prevented a reversal in Infinite's rib-healing process. She coughed and groaned, but managed to laugh slightly.

"That was fun," were the words that came from her mouth.

"Fun?" Infinite questioned, staring down at her. "You threw me down a hole against my will."

"There weren't many options left," Tawny pointed out. "Also, I threw myself down, too."

"Idiot," Infinite huffed. "You could have broken your own back with such a landing."

"Yeah, if you were heavier," Tawny joked. "I've carried you enough times to know how light you are."

Was that a compliment or an insult?

Obviously, his eyes were showing that he was trying to work that out, so Tawny laughed again and pat his back.

"C'mon; get up, tough guy," she chuckled.

"Yes, Infinite, please remove yourself from my daughter," Ridge spoke up from behind. "Wow, now that's a sentence I never thought I'd hear myself say." He didn't even give Infinite much time to act, choosing to grab him by the scruff of his neck to lift him up, which in turn allowed Tawny to stand.

Infinite pushed off him, not at all appreciating being manhandled, but then his ears perked and he looked between the two. Ridge just called Tawny his "daughter". Wasn't he still under the impression that Tawny didn't know?

"Oh, right," Tawny then said, noticing the confused look on Infinite's face. "Yeah, we cleared a few things up before we went to go rescue you from jail."

"And you both planned to tell me that when, exactly?" the black-furred jackal flatly reacted.

"We may have forgotten," Ridge chuckled. Infinite just grunted and started walking.

"No matter," he murmured. "Let's keep moving. We could be detected if we stay down here for too long, and I don't appreciate the stench."

Again, the walk was one of mostly silence with a few silence-filling conversations here and there, but most of the time Infinite was just walking and tuning out everything he could hear. He would only stop to let Tawny point them in the right direction, or when Tawny would tell him to stop so that she could either get her bearings or, as she did now, tell him that they had reached the marked manhole cover.

"Here," she announced. "Once we climb up outta here, we'll be close to my house. Then we can get ourselves washed up, settled down, and overall just enjoy whatever time we have before Remnant strikes again."

The coyote-hybrid was the first to climb up, gently pushing up the manhole cover to make sure the coast was clear before fully surfacing. Infinite followed, and she offered a hand down to help him up, which he reluctantly accepted. Ridge was the last up, and he was the one who then closed the hole with the cover.

"Which way?" the older jackal asked.

"Follow me," Tawny responded as she walked on ahead, leaving both Ridge and Infinite to walk behind her together at a slight distance. Infinite was just staring at her silently as he strolled, but after a few moments, it became clear that Ridge was staring at him, because the older jackal nudged his arm.

"What's on your mind, kiddo?" he asked. "You look completely lost in thought."

"Nothing," Infinite shut down with a glower. "Must you be so intrusive?"

"I'm sorry, how many heads have you messed with in the past year?" Ridge asked sarcastically. "Like, oh, I don't know, an entire planet?"

"What do you want?" Infinite questioned with a cold glare. Ridge just smirked and shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm a curious fellow, what can I say?" he responded. Infinite just rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Well, stop being so curious," he commanded, walking ahead to be closer to Tawny. Ridge only chuckled at this defensive reaction, which further infuriated the scar-faced jackal.

"There!" Tawny then pointed. "Little house in a busy place like this. Nobody's gonna think to look here." She jogged ahead and worked on opening the door, while the other two simply walked after her.

"Wow, it really is a small place," Ridge observed. "Hey, kid, how many rooms are in here, exactly? Bedrooms, I mean?"

Tawny seemed to pause as she pushed the door halfway open. "Oh, man," she wavered. "There's only one."

"One?" both Ridge and Infinite replied in unison, with Ridge sounding more horrified.

"Yeah, I never planned for guests here when I had this place," Tawny defended, entering the house as the duo behind followed her. "Although, I do have a double-bed. It'd be a little rude if I kept that to myself while I had two other people here."

"Yes, that would be rude," Infinite confirmed. Seriously. If anyone had a double-bed, then they were required to share it with at least one other person.

"But who gets the bed?" Ridge then asked, almost dreading the answer. "I'm not gonna be sleeping in the same bed as you, that's one thing I'm certain of, and I'm not gonna share it with Infinite either. Honestly, I can't decide what's the worst option outta those two."

"So, Ridge is sleeping on the couch," Infinite concluded. Which left only one other option.

 _Oh._

Tawny shrugged. "Well, two of us need to use it," she reminded them both. "That option seems to be the least weird."

Well, Infinite couldn't disagree, but he didn't exactly want to agree either. Maybe he could just sleep on the floor or something…

"Well, I'm off for a bath," Tawny quickly decided. "I stink of sewage. You guys definitely need to do the same."

Tawny then left to go and have a bath, leaving a temporary awkward silence before Infinite looked over at Ridge. "You should go and find a blanket for the couch," he advised. "It makes them more comfortable." Ridge could only glare at him for that comment.

"Be careful, young man," he warned. "I will make your rib break so much worse." Infinite shrugged his shoulders and folded his arms.

"I've already been on the couch enough times at her other place," he reminded him. "Now it's your turn." A bed would be better for his ribs, anyway.

The evening had come pretty fast after such a long day. Ridge was the next one to use the bathroom, and he took an insulting length of time in there. Infinite had got himself some food by that point, and the sun had set. In fact, the former world terror was even beginning to feel a little tired and almost passed out on the couch himself, but eventually Ridge did get out of the bathroom.

"Hey, get off," the older jackal commanded as he entered the small living room where Infinite sat. "You're getting sewer sludge all over my bed."

Infinite glared up at him as he made himself stand, seeing as Ridge smirked, so the younger jackal reacted by simply dragging his hand down Ridge's back.

"Hey!" Ridge reacted in disgust. "I've only just washed myself!"

"Well, you can go for a second wash when I'm done," Infinite grumbled, leaving the living room.

Infinite took not even half the time Ridge took to clean himself, taking extra care of every white fur strand on his body. He began to doze off at some point, but that was when he decided to quickly get out. No way would he meet his end by accidentally falling asleep in a bath tub.

Once dried off, he awkwardly went to Tawny's room, seeing that the hybrid was already in bed and reading a book. She looked over the pages to smile and wave at him.

"Took your time," she said playfully.

"Blame your father," Infinite countered, rolling his eyes. "He took forever to clean himself."

"Aw, don't be mean, now," Tawny chuckled. "You two both mean a lot to me."

"Hmph," Infinite huffed, sitting on the bedside thoughtfully. Tawny gave him a curious look.

"You gonna lie down?" she questioned. "You look really tired."

"I'm just thinking," Infinite defended.

"Well, think and lie down," Tawny suggested. Which immediately made Infinite narrow his eyes to himself.

"Fine," he relented, lying down with his back facing Tawny. Tawny rolled her eyes and covered him up with the duvet.

"You can be so awkward," she told him, causing him to glare over his shoulder at her.

"We're in bed, we should be sleeping," he pointed out. That's the rule. Once you were in bed or in any sleeping location, you had to sleep. Nobody should disturb you.

"What, so no pre-sleep conversation?" she asked him. "No discussion about Remnant, or Eggman, or plans, or any other kind of gossip?"

Infinite picked up his pillow and held it over his own head. "Good night," he simply responded. Tawny just rolled her eyes.

"Y'know, I've heard that sleeping upright is good for your ribs if they're broken," she informed.

"I'll sleep how I please," Infinite murmured through his pillow. "Now sleep."

Tawny sighed and shook her head, but still wore an amused smile. "Good night, Infinite," she said to him, then going back to reading her book. She still had a few minutes before she was ready to sleep.

"Goodnight," Infinite could be heard murmuring tiredly. The response simply made Tawny smile again.

 **~End of Chapter~**


	25. Calm Before the Storm

**~Calm Before the Storm~**

The next morning was pleasant. It was almost as if Remnant wasn't an inevitable threat. Ridge was just sat on the now-tidy couch, watching some television, and Tawny was in the kitchen making breakfast and tea.

Infinite had only just come downstairs, having overslept compared to the other two, but considering he had stayed up all night previously, he deserved some extra shut-eye.

The jackal sat himself on the couch, which immediately caused Ridge to speak up. "Hey, who said you were allowed to sit on my bed?" he asked, offended.

"It's only your bed at night time," Infinite countered smoothly as he stared at the television, not really paying attention to whatever was on.

"Actually, I decide when it stops being my bed," Ridge argued.

"You guys better not be fighting in there!" Tawny called from the open kitchen. "It's too early for that and we haven't even been here for more than twenty-four hours."

Infinite just folded his arms and sat in silence. He didn't want to start and argument this morning, but if Ridge kept pestering him, then he may just throw him to the floor.

Thankfully, Ridge didn't seem to be too interested in starting anything, either, and also sat silent. The atmosphere remained like this for a good few minutes before Tawny came over and placed two plates down on the coffee table in front of the jackals.

"Scrambled eggs and bacon," she announced proudly.

"Eggs and bacon?" Ridge gasped, taking in the delicious smell. "This sure beats cave fish!"

"Anything beats cave fish," Tawny chuckled as she then looked to Infinite. The dreadlocked jackal picked up some of the eggs between his finger and thumb, as if completely unfamiliar with the dish. He even tilted his head slightly in confusion, but quickly snapped out of his focus when Tawny cleared her throat. "Knife and for, Inf. Use the knife and fork."

Infinite saw that the two pieces of cutlery were on his plate, dropping the scrambled eggs back where they belonged. Why would a knife be needed to cut something so soft?

"A knife is not necessary," he confirmed. "These eggs can be pulled apart with my hands."

Tawny sighed and shook her head. "We've been through this," she reminded him. "There's a little something called table manners. Just use the knife and fork."

Infinite picked up the knife and fork and started cutting, his ears flattening in embarrassment, but as soon as Tawny returned to the kitchen, he immediately started using his hands again. It was just so much easier.

After a few bites of his food, Ridge nudged his shoulder harshly, which angered the younger jackal. "Ain't you gonna go sit with her?" he asked. Infinite lifted his head and looked into the kitchen, seeing that Tawny was sat by herself at the small table. He then frowned and glared back at Ridge.

"Why are you asking me?" he countered. "She's your daughter, isn't she?"

"Yes, but she's your girlfriend," Ridge backfired.

Infinite's ears dropped again and he almost looked horrified, but then he scowled. He wouldn't use the words "girlfriend" and "boyfriend" in a million years. Anyway, why did Ridge know that?

"If you mention either of us that way ever again, I'm killing you," Infinite decided quietly, but Ridge didn't seem at all threatened.

"Enjoy the single life after that, then," Ridge retorted smugly, earning himself yet another scowl from Infinite.

"I'd rather not become like you," Infinite then said as parting words as he chose to stand up, carrying his plate into the kitchen where he sat opposite Tawny at the table. The hybrid canine looked surprised, which is a look Infinite picked up on.

"What?" he huffed. "Sitting at a real table is allegedly more polite than on a couch."

"I mean, yeah," Tawny had to agree, "but you didn't have to come over here or anything."

"Well, I did," Infinite shut down, eating with his hands again. Tawny almost cringed.

"That's so much worse than sitting on the couch," she mumbled.

"Is my eating style affecting your life?" Infinite asked sarcastically. It took Tawny a few seconds to respond.

"Well, no…"

"Then there's no need to focus so much on it, now, is there?"

Infinite kept eating and Tawny just sighed, eating with actual table manners. The air was silent for a small moment as the two ate, but Infinite caught sight of Tawny staring at him with some weird small smile.

"…What?" Infinite reacted to this sight. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Aren't I allowed to look at you?" Tawny responded. "It's an appreciation thing."

"Then stop," Infinite demanded.

"Stop appreciating you?" Tawny queried.

"Yes," Infinite answered before thinking about his reply. "No. I mean stop expressing it."

Tawny shook her head as she finished eating her breakfast. "You're one strange guy," she couldn't resist saying before then winking. "But that's what I like about ya."

Infinite frowned. "Stop," he grumbled, standing up with his now-empty plate in hand. He walked over to the sink and scrubbed it clean, then setting it to dry on the rack before finally washing his hands. His mind was elsewhere for a moment, but he froze when feeling a pair of hands on his shoulders, and he only frowned again when Tawny leaned over his shoulder to look at his face.

"Hey," she said, as if greeting him for the first time this morning.

"What?" Infinite sighed, glancing down at her.

"I've got something cool that you _really_ need to see," Tawny told him with a smile. Infinite just turned around and took her by the arms, moving her to the side so that he could step away from the sink.

"What is it?" he asked without much interest in his voice.

"This way," Tawny gestured as she started walking. "It's in my basement."

Infinite started to follow her and raised one of his eyebrows. "Basement?" he questioned. "I wasn't aware this place had a basement." Really. The building was so small.

"Dude, I've always got a basement," Tawny told him. "Except in the other city. There's no basement in that house. I should really get one installed when I return there."

Infinite didn't even add to that discussion as he soon followed her down some steps which had been illuminated at the flick of a light switch.

"You said you used to use a sword or something, right?" Tawny asked. Infinite nodded his head.

"Yes," he replied. "A long time ago."

"Well, check this out!" Tawny exclaimed as she ran into the basement room, taking something from a rack.

As she turned around, Infinite felt his eyes widen against his will. The sword was a curved crimson one with a blue handle.

It was his.

"I found it not long after I lost my contract to Eggman," Tawny explained. "I forgot I had it here, but I remembered you said something about using a sword, so…"

"That one's mine," Infinite cut in without realising. Tawny's ears perked up.

"Wait, really?" she queried. Obviously, she didn't believe him, or at least she didn't want to. The coincidence was just too bizarre to her.

Infinite merely nodded his head. "It was… my father's." His mismatched eyes then locked with Tawny's as he spoke quietly. "Remember when I told you I killed him in my youth?"

"Yeah?" Tawny responded, tilting her head to the side as she tried to follow where this conversation was going.

"I killed him with that," Infinite revealed. His gloved hand covered his scarred blue eye as he remembered some of those brutal moments.

" _Hesitation will be your last mistake in any battle, Zero!"_

Those words. Those were the words his father spoke to him before he was struck with his sword.

" _You want it back? Then here it is."_

And those words, the words of an adolescent, came from his own mouth as he put an end to that man's life.

This sword had been with him ever since the beginning. Ever since he was just a pup trying to understand the world around him. He had been abused by its power, and when he became worthy, he abused its power. He inspired fear into the hearts of anyone who saw him coming.

He almost killed Doctor Eggman with that thing.

Things would have been different if that had happened…

Tawny eyed the sword thoughtfully. "Huh," she could only react with at first. "This sword is certainly a unique design. It must be hard to forget." She then held out blade out to him in her palms. "Here. Take it. I was gonna give it to you as a gift, but… I feel like I'm returning something I stole from you."

"You didn't steal it, it was lost and you didn't know me," Infinite corrected as he reached out and took the blade by its hilt. He lifted it slowly and eyed it, and he really couldn't deny that he felt his heart beat faster with what must have been excitement – or even joy. This was his weapon. This is what he, as Zero, depended on for his survival.

The hybrid canine who stood before him smiled brightly. "This is so cool!" she chirped. "Once you're fully healed and we go back to deal with Remnant, you're gonna kick his butt with that!"

Infinite grinned slightly, almost in a sadistic way. He'd ruined that fox with this sword before, so he could do it again.

"I'm gonna finish cleaning up the kitchen," Tawny then stated. "You can spend a few minutes getting used to that sword, but try not to break anything. There's plenty of space down here so I'll be mad if anything's broken."

As she turned to leave, however, the black-furred jackal suddenly took her by the wrist and swiftly pulled her back to him, keeping his one free arm wrapped around her waist.

And he smiled.

He smiled down at her, still with that somewhat evil look on his face, but all that mattered was that the smile was genuine.

For a moment, the pair lost themselves in the moment. Infinite's smile didn't fade away, and Tawny couldn't help but smile back.

Nothing was said between them, and Infinite found himself closing the gap between their gazes…

"What the heck are you two doing in the basement?!" Ridge could be heard shouting from atop the stairs. "Wait, I didn't even know this place _had_ a basement!"

The moment was lost and Infinite immediately let go of Tawny, practically shoving her away. "Go and make sure that old man's alright," he instructed. "He might fall down the basement stairs."

Tawny was a little slower to react and gather herself, but eventually she chuckled and nodded her head. "Right," she replied. "I'll… check on you when I've done some cleaning." And with that said, she left him, heading back up the stairs to clean everything up.

Infinite gazed back at the red sword, which looked like it had been cleaned well at some point. He could see his own to eyes in the blade's reflection…

That would be the last sight Remnant saw before his defeat.

Infinite would make sure of that.

 **~End of Chapter~**


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